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Mewing: Does It Actually Work?

LooksMaxxers Editorial January 21, 2026 8 min read

Mewing: Does It Actually Work?

LooksMaxxers Editorial
January 2026 | 14 min read

Mewing is everywhere. TikTok, YouTube, Reddit—millions of people claim this simple tongue posture technique can reshape your jawline and transform your facial structure.

But does mewing actually work? Or is it just another internet trend with no real science behind it?

This guide breaks down everything: what mewing is, the proper mewing technique, what the research actually says, and whether it's worth your time. We'll also cover hard mewing, tongue posture exercises, and realistic before and after expectations.

What Is Mewing?

Mewing is a tongue posture technique named after Dr. Mike Mew and his father Dr. John Mew—British orthodontists who developed what they call "orthotropics."

The core concept: most people rest their tongue at the bottom of their mouth. Mewing involves training yourself to keep your entire tongue pressed flat against the roof of your mouth, at rest and throughout the day.

Dr. Mike Mew (often searched as "mikemew") has popularized this technique through YouTube videos explaining the theory and method. His argument is that modern soft diets and mouth breathing have led to poor facial development, and that correct tongue posture can influence facial structure over time.

The Theory Behind Mewing

The Mews argue that the tongue exerts constant pressure on the palate. Over time, this pressure can:

Widen the palate (the roof of your mouth)
Bring the maxilla (upper jaw) forward
Improve jawline definition
Create more prominent cheekbones
Reduce the appearance of a recessed chin

They point to evolutionary and anthropological evidence showing that pre-industrial humans had wider jaws, straighter teeth, and more forward facial growth—attributing this to harder diets and nasal breathing.

Does Mewing Work?

Here's where it gets complicated. Let's look at what the evidence actually shows.

What Research Supports

In children and adolescents: There's reasonable evidence that oral posture affects facial development during growth years. Orthodontic research supports that mouth breathing and low tongue posture correlate with longer, narrower faces. The bones are still developing, so consistent posture may influence growth patterns.

Breathing improvements: Transitioning from mouth breathing to nasal breathing has documented health benefits, including better sleep, reduced facial puffiness, and improved oxygen uptake.

Posture benefits: Correct tongue posture often comes with better head and neck posture, which immediately affects how you look.

What's Less Supported

Dramatic adult bone remodeling: Once growth plates close (typically late teens to early twenties), bone remodeling becomes significantly harder. Most orthotropic claims about adult facial restructuring lack peer-reviewed support.

The British Orthodontic Society has stated there's no peer-reviewed research supporting mewing as a method for changing facial structure in adults.

The Realistic Answer

Mewing probably won't dramatically restructure an adult's bones. But it can improve your appearance through:

Soft tissue changes: Proper tongue position tightens the area under your chin and can create a more defined jaw-neck angle
Better posture: Head and neck alignment immediately improves your profile
Reduced bloating: Nasal breathing reduces facial puffiness
Muscle tone: Sustained tongue engagement can subtly improve facial muscle definition

For younger people still growing, the effects could be more significant.

The Proper Mewing Technique

Most people who try mewing do it wrong. Here's the correct method, step by step.

Step 1: Tongue Position

The entire tongue—not just the tip—should rest against the roof of your mouth.

The tip touches just behind your front teeth (not pressing against them)
The middle presses flat against the hard palate
The back third pushes up against the soft palate

This last part is where most people fail. They only place the tip of their tongue on the roof of their mouth. The back of the tongue doing the work is what actually matters.

How to find the right position:

Say the word "sing" and hold the "ng" sound. Notice where the back of your tongue naturally rises. That's approximately where it should rest.

Alternatively: swallow, and notice where your tongue goes at the peak of the swallow. Try to maintain that position.

Step 2: Lip Seal

Keep your lips gently closed. You should be breathing through your nose, not your mouth.

If you can't breathe comfortably through your nose, address that first. Allergies, deviated septum, or chronic congestion can make nasal breathing difficult and need to be treated.

Step 3: Teeth Position

Your teeth should be lightly touching or very slightly apart. Don't clench. The jaw should be relaxed.

Step 4: Head Posture

Mewing works best with proper head posture:

Chin slightly tucked (not jutting forward)
Ears aligned over shoulders
Neck elongated, not compressed

Poor head posture makes correct tongue positioning almost impossible and negates many potential benefits.

Hard Mewing vs. Regular Mewing

You'll see "hard mewing" discussed in looksmaxxing communities. Here's the difference:

Regular Mewing

Gentle, sustained tongue pressure against the palate
Comfortable enough to maintain all day
The goal is making it your default resting position

Hard Mewing

Forceful, intense pressure pushing the tongue upward
Often accompanied by deliberate pushing throughout the day
Proponents claim faster results

Should You Hard Mew?

Most experts—including Dr. Mike Mew himself—don't recommend hard mewing. Here's why:

Potential problems:

TMJ pain and jaw tension
Headaches from sustained muscle strain
Possible orthodontic issues from excessive force
Unsustainable long-term

The better approach: Consistent, gentle pressure maintained over months and years beats intense pressure you can only sustain for minutes. Mewing is about changing your default posture, not forcing change through strain.

If you're doing it right, mewing should feel natural and comfortable—not like a workout.

Tongue Posture Exercises

Beyond maintaining proper posture, these exercises help strengthen the tongue and make correct positioning easier.

The Suction Hold

This is the foundation of proper tongue posture:

Place your entire tongue against the roof of your mouth
Create a suction seal (like you're holding water against your palate)
Hold for 30-60 seconds
Release and repeat

Practice this throughout the day until it becomes automatic.

The "Ng" Hold

Say "sing" and hold the "ng" sound
Feel the back of your tongue rise against your soft palate
Maintain that position for 30-60 seconds
Repeat several times daily

This specifically trains the back-tongue engagement most people miss.

The Chin Tuck

Not a tongue exercise, but essential for mewing:

Stand or sit with your back straight
Pull your chin straight back (like making a double chin on purpose)
Hold for 5-10 seconds
Repeat 15-20 times

This strengthens neck muscles and makes proper head posture easier to maintain.

Hard Swallow Practice

Get into the correct mewing position
Swallow while keeping tongue contact with the palate
Focus on using tongue pressure rather than cheek muscles

This reinforces correct swallowing patterns and builds tongue strength.

Tongue Chewing

Take a piece of gum (preferably hard mastic gum or falim gum)
Instead of chewing with your teeth, press the gum against your palate with your tongue
Use your tongue to move and "chew" the gum against the roof of your mouth

This builds tongue strength and endurance for sustained mewing.

Correct Tongue Posture Before and After: What to Expect

The internet is full of dramatic mewing transformation photos. Let's set realistic expectations.

Why Most "Before and After" Results Are Misleading

Puberty: Many photos span years during adolescence. Faces naturally become more defined as teens mature—this would happen with or without mewing.

Weight loss: Losing body fat reveals facial structure. That jawline "appeared" because it was always there, just hidden.

Posture changes: Better head and neck posture immediately changes how your face photographs. This isn't bone remodeling—it's positioning.

Lighting and angles: The same face looks dramatically different based on lighting direction and camera angle.

Time: Photos taken years apart show natural aging and maturation, not necessarily mewing results.

What Legitimate Results Look Like

If you maintain proper tongue posture consistently, realistic changes include:

Within weeks:

Reduced appearance of double chin
Better jaw-neck angle in photos
Improved overall posture

Within months:

More defined jawline (from soft tissue positioning and muscle tone)
Reduced facial puffiness (from nasal breathing)
More alert, confident appearance

What probably won't change (in adults):

Actual bone structure
Significant midface projection
Substantial jaw width

The changes are real but subtle. They're not the dramatic transformations some claim online.

Mewing for Jawline: The Bigger Picture

If your goal is a better jawline, mewing alone probably isn't going to get you there—especially as an adult.

Jawline definition primarily depends on:

Genetics — Bone structure is largely inherited
Body fat percentage — Lower body fat reveals more facial definition
Muscle development — Jaw and neck muscles contribute to a stronger look
Age — Faces become more angular with maturity

What Actually Improves Jawline Definition

Get leaner: This is the biggest factor. A guy at 12% body fat will have a more defined jawline than the same guy at 20%, regardless of tongue posture.

Build neck muscles: A thicker neck creates a more powerful appearance and better proportions. Neck curls, shrugs, and resistance exercises help.

Fix your posture: Forward head posture makes your jaw look weaker. Correcting it creates immediate improvement.

Chew properly: Some evidence suggests softer modern diets contribute to less jaw development. Chewing tougher foods may help maintain jaw muscle tone.

Mewing can be part of this picture, but it's a small piece. Read our guide on how to lose face fat for more on revealing your bone structure.

Common Mewing Mistakes

Only Using the Tip

The most common mistake. If only the tip of your tongue touches the palate, you're not mewing correctly. The back third of the tongue needs to be engaged.

Pressing Against Teeth

Your tongue should push upward against the palate, not forward against your front teeth. Pushing forward can cause orthodontic problems over time.

Pressing Too Hard

Mewing should be gentle and sustainable. Excessive force causes jaw tension, headaches, and TMJ issues. This isn't a workout—it's a posture change.

Mouth Breathing

You can't mew and mouth breathe simultaneously. If your lips are open, the tongue naturally drops. Fix breathing issues first.

Inconsistency

Doing it for 10 minutes a day accomplishes nothing. The goal is changing your default resting posture. It needs to become unconscious and automatic.

Ignoring Head Posture

Forward head posture pulls the tongue down and back. If you're hunched over a phone all day, tongue posture alone won't help much.

How Long Does Mewing Take?

Everyone wants a timeline. Here's what's realistic:

Posture improvements: 2-4 weeks of conscious practice before it starts becoming automatic

Soft tissue changes: 1-3 months for subtle improvements in jaw-neck definition

Habit formation: 3-6 months before proper tongue posture becomes truly unconscious

Structural changes (if any): The Mews suggest years of consistent practice for bone-level changes. Evidence for this in adults is weak.

Think of mewing like posture correction: quick visual improvements from positioning, but fundamental changes—if they happen at all—take much longer.

Is Mewing Safe?

For most people, mewing is harmless. You're just changing how you rest your tongue.

Proceed With Caution If You Have:

TMJ issues: Changing jaw and tongue posture could aggravate existing problems. Consult a professional first.

Bite problems: Significant malocclusion should be addressed by an orthodontist, not DIY techniques.

Nasal obstruction: Fix breathing issues before attempting sustained nasal breathing.

Avoid These:

Bonesmashing: Hitting your face to try to remodel bone is dangerous pseudoscience. Don't do it.

Excessive force: Hard mewing to the point of pain or strain. Stop if you experience headaches or jaw tension.

Obsessive monitoring: Constantly checking mirrors and measuring your face. If mewing is causing anxiety, step back.

Who Should Try Mewing?

Good Candidates:

Chronic mouth breathers wanting to switch to nasal breathing
People with forward head posture
Anyone wanting to improve resting face appearance
Teenagers and young adults still in growth phases
People looking for free, low-risk improvement techniques

Skip It If:

You're expecting dramatic bone restructuring as an adult
You have existing TMJ or bite problems (see a professional)
You're prone to obsessive behaviors around appearance
You have nasal obstruction preventing comfortable nose breathing

The Bottom Line

Mewing is a legitimate technique for maintaining proper tongue posture. The potential benefits—better breathing, improved appearance, reduced double chin—are real, if modest for adults.

The claims about dramatic bone restructuring in adults? Largely unproven. The British Orthodontic Society and mainstream orthodontics don't endorse mewing for facial restructuring.

Should you try it? If you're a mouth breather or have poor posture, yes—it costs nothing and has potential upside. If you're expecting it to give you a model's jawline in six months, recalibrate your expectations.

The most effective approach combines multiple factors: getting lean, building neck muscles, fixing overall posture, and yes, proper tongue posture. Mewing can be part of that system. Just don't expect it to be the whole system.

Dr. Mike Mew's techniques have value—particularly for younger people and for transitioning away from mouth breathing. But the looksmaxxing community sometimes oversells what mewing can realistically achieve for adults.

Focus on what you can control: body composition, sleep, training, skincare, and overall posture. Let mewing be one piece of that puzzle, not the centerpiece.

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