Few topics in the facial aesthetics space generate as much debate as "mewing"—the practice of maintaining proper tongue posture against the roof of the mouth. Proponents claim it can reshape the face, improve jawline definition, and correct years of developmental issues. Critics call it pseudoscience. The truth lies somewhere in between.
What Is Mewing?
Mewing is named after Dr. John Mew and his son Dr. Mike Mew, British orthodontists who developed "orthotropics"—an approach to facial development that emphasizes posture over traditional orthodontic intervention.
The core practice involves:
- Resting the tongue entirely against the roof of the mouth (palate)
- Teeth lightly together or very slightly apart
- Lips sealed
- Nasal breathing
- Proper head and neck posture
The theory: correct tongue posture provides constant gentle pressure that guides facial development in a broader, forward direction rather than the narrow, recessed pattern they attribute to modern lifestyles.
The Theoretical Foundation
Orthotropics rests on several observed phenomena:
Wolff's Law
Bone adapts to the stresses placed upon it. This is established science—it's why weight-bearing exercise increases bone density and why astronauts lose bone mass in zero gravity.
Applied to the face: constant tongue pressure against the palate theoretically could influence how the maxilla (upper jaw) develops.
Mouth Breathing Effects
Research does link chronic mouth breathing during childhood to narrow palates, long face syndrome, and recessed jaw development. Children who breathe through their mouths due to allergies, enlarged adenoids, or habit show higher rates of these patterns.
This supports the idea that oral posture during development matters.
Modern Lifestyle Changes
The Mews argue that modern soft diets and slouched postures have contributed to narrower jaws in recent generations. There's some anthropological evidence showing facial changes coinciding with dietary shifts, though the causes are debated.
What Evidence Exists
Here's where enthusiasm meets reality:
For Children and Adolescents
Evidence is most promising for younger individuals:
- The face is still actively developing
- Bones are more malleable
- Growth patterns can still be influenced
- Some orthodontic approaches already use similar principles (palatal expanders, functional appliances)
However:
- Controlled studies specifically on "mewing" are limited
- The orthotropics approach is controversial within mainstream orthodontics
- Outcomes are hard to measure and attribute specifically to tongue posture vs. other interventions
For Adults
This is where claims get problematic:
- Skull bones are fused by late teens/early twenties
- Bone remodeling in adults is much slower and more limited
- No clinical trials demonstrate significant bone structure changes from adult mewing
- Changes adults report are likely from:
- Soft tissue positioning (tongue affecting under-chin appearance)
- Postural improvement
- Placebo effect
- Selective photo comparison
The hard truth: if you're over 25, you're unlikely to reshape your facial bones through tongue posture.
What Mewing Can Realistically Do for Adults
This doesn't mean mewing is useless for adults—just that expectations need calibration:
Improved Posture
Focusing on tongue position naturally encourages better head and neck posture. Head-forward posture is extremely common and does affect facial appearance:
- Makes chin look recessed
- Creates under-chin fullness
- Shortens apparent neck
Correcting this produces real visual improvement—not from bone change, but from positioning.
Reduced Double Chin Appearance
Proper tongue posture lifts the tongue body and the floor of the mouth, reducing the "double chin" appearance in many people—especially if that appearance is postural rather than fat-based.
Breathing Pattern Improvement
Conscious nasal breathing has health benefits:
- Better nitric oxide release
- Reduced mouth dryness
- Potentially better sleep quality
These don't reshape your face, but they're valuable.
Mindfulness About Oral Habits
Thinking about tongue and jaw posture often reveals problematic habits:
- Jaw clenching
- Teeth grinding
- Mouth breathing
- Chronic tension
Addressing these has health benefits separate from aesthetic change.
How to Do It (If You Choose To)
If you want to try proper tongue posture:
The Correct Position
- Close your mouth, lips sealed
- Place the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind (not on) your front teeth
- Flatten the rest of your tongue against the palate
- The back of your tongue should also be elevated
- Breathe through your nose
- Keep this as your resting position
Common Mistakes
- Pressing too hard: This causes tension and may contribute to TMJ issues. It should be light, effortless contact.
- Only placing the tip: The whole tongue should rest on the palate.
- Creating tension: This should feel natural with practice, not strained.
- Expecting quick results: Any genuine changes (even postural) take months to years.
Warning Signs
Stop or modify if you experience:
- Jaw pain
- TMJ clicking or popping
- Headaches
- Facial tension
- Any discomfort that persists
The Community Problem
Much of the mewing discourse online is problematic:
Unrealistic Before/Afters
Many "transformation" photos compare images taken under completely different conditions—lighting, angle, focal length, age, body weight. These prove nothing about mewing specifically.
Obsessive Focus
Some people become fixated on mewing and facial structure to the point of dysfunction. Spending hours analyzing bone structure or checking tongue position is counterproductive.
Targeting Vulnerable People
Young men with body image concerns are particularly targeted by mewing content that promises transformation. This can fuel body dysmorphic tendencies.
A Balanced Approach
If you're interested in mewing:
Accept Realistic Expectations
For adults: posture improvement and soft tissue positioning. No bone transformation.
For adolescents: possibly some developmental influence, but evidence is limited and effect size unknown.
Focus on Health Over Aesthetics
Learn proper tongue posture because:
- Nasal breathing has health benefits
- Good posture reduces pain and strain
- It corrects bad habits
Not because you expect to grow a new jawline.
Don't Obsess
Check your posture occasionally. Practice. Then forget about it and live your life. Constant monitoring and fixation is harmful.
Track If You Want Data
If you're curious about actual changes, use consistent photography over months and years—same lighting, same angle, same conditions. Apps like Potential AI can help standardize this tracking, showing you what's actually changing versus what you're imagining.
Conclusion
Mewing—proper tongue posture—has legitimate roots in observations about developmental influence and oral posture. For children and adolescents, there may be genuine developmental effects, though research is limited.
For adults, bone remodeling is unlikely. Benefits are real but limited to: improved head/neck posture, reduced double chin appearance, better breathing patterns, and awareness of oral habits.
The practice itself is harmless when done correctly. The surrounding culture—with its unrealistic promises and obsessive focus—is often harmful.
Do it if you want. Keep expectations modest. And don't let it become another thing to obsess about.
Posture matters. Bones don't care about your tongue.