I first saw mewing on TikTok at 1am. A guy pointed at his jaw, pointed at his tongue, and promised a new face in 90 days. I spent the next week pressing my tongue so hard into my palate that my jaw ached.
So here’s the honest mewing tutorial I wish I’d found first. Rest your whole tongue flat on the roof of your mouth, close your lips, keep your teeth lightly together, and breathe through your nose. Hold that gently all day. It can improve how your profile looks at rest, but it probably won’t rebuild your adult jaw.
I’ve been practicing gentle tongue posture for about a year. Below are the 5 steps, the mistakes that cause jaw pain, what the evidence actually says, and the things that changed my jawline a lot faster.
What Is Mewing?
Mewing is the practice of resting your tongue flat against the roof of your mouth all day. It’s named after John Mew and his son Mike Mew, two British orthodontists who pushed the idea of better oral posture. Fans claim it can sharpen your jawline and change your face shape over time.
The trend blew up on TikTok and YouTube in the early 2020s, and the hashtag now has billions of views. It’s a big part of looksmaxxing culture, right next to skincare, gym routines, and hair.
Does Mewing Actually Work?
Okay so here’s the honest answer. Mewing teaches correct resting tongue posture, which is a real thing that speech and myofunctional therapists teach. The big claim, that it reshapes your jaw bone as an adult, has very little proof behind it.
What the Evidence Says
There are no large clinical trials showing that mewing changes adult jaw shape. Most of the proof online is before and after photos, which change a lot with lighting, angle, weight loss, and posture.
Your facial bones do most of their growing before and during puberty. That’s why orthodontists use tools like palate expanders on kids, not adults. Once growth is done, a tongue alone isn’t strong enough to move bone in a way you’d see in the mirror.
Kids are a different story. Research on children who mouth breathe for years, often because of big tonsils or adenoids, links it to a longer face and narrower upper jaw. That’s where the idea behind mewing comes from.
What Mewing Can Do for You
Resting your tongue up pulls the muscles under your chin a little tighter. Your profile looks less slack at rest, and that change is visible in a side photo within days. It’s posture, not bone, but it still counts.
It also nudges you toward nose breathing. Nose breathing warms and filters air, and a lot of people notice they mouth breathe less at night once tongue-up feels normal. For me, that was the most useful part.
Mewing Tutorial: 5 Steps to Proper Tongue Posture
Do this in front of a mirror the first few times. Gentle is the whole point. If anything hurts, you’re pushing too hard.
Step 1: Close Your Lips and Breathe Through Your Nose
Close your lips softly without squeezing them. Take a few slow breaths through your nose. If that feels hard, your nose may be stuffy, and that’s worth fixing first.
Step 2: Find the Right Spot With the Ng Sound
Say the word sing and hold the ng at the end. Feel where the back of your tongue touches the roof of your mouth? That’s the part most people miss.
The tip of your tongue should sit just behind your front teeth, on the bumpy ridge. It shouldn’t touch your teeth at all.
Step 3: Rest Your Whole Tongue Flat on the Roof
Now let the middle and back of your tongue rise to meet your palate, from the tip all the way back to the ng spot. Think of it as suction, not pressure. Your tongue should feel like it’s resting up there, not pushing.
A quick check: you should still be able to swallow and breathe through your nose easily. If you can’t, ease off.
Step 4: Keep Your Teeth Lightly Touching or Just Apart
Your back teeth can touch very lightly or sit a tiny bit apart. Don’t clench. Clenching is how a lot of people end up with sore jaws and headaches.
If you already grind your teeth at night or clench when stressed, go extra slow here. My nervous system morning routine helped me notice when my jaw was tight.
Step 5: Check In Through the Day
Nobody holds perfect tongue posture all day at first. I set a reminder for every hour of my workday for the first two weeks. Each time it buzzed, I checked my lips, tongue, and teeth.
After about a month, tongue-up became my default without thinking. That’s the real goal. You’re building a habit, not doing a workout.
Common Mewing Mistakes to Avoid
Pushing too hard. Hard mewing, where you press with real force, can make your jaw sore and may strain the joint in front of your ear. Gentle wins.
Only using the tip of your tongue. If the back third is still down, you’re not really doing it. Go back to the ng sound.
Clenching your teeth. Tight teeth are not part of mewing. They just give you a sore face.
Trying bone smashing. Some looksmaxxing videos tell you to tap your face with hard objects. Please don’t. It can cause real injury, and there’s no proof it does anything good.
How Long Until You See Mewing Results?
The side-profile change from tongue posture shows up in days, because it’s muscle position. You’ll see it in photos as soon as you’re holding it right.
Bone changes are a different promise. Videos claim 3 months or a year, but there’s no reliable data on adults. If someone sells you a timeline for a new jaw, be skeptical.
Things That Changed My Jawline Faster Than Mewing
evrygal recommends pairing gentle mewing with these, because they make a bigger difference you can actually see.
Fixing my neck posture. Forward head posture, the phone neck slump, softens your jawline in every photo. Chin tucks against a wall and a few weeks of wall Pilates helped me more than anything.
Depuffing in the morning. Salt, alcohol, and bad sleep all show up as puffiness under your jaw. A cold ice roller or a few minutes with a gua sha takes the edge off fast.
Sleeping more. I look sharper after 8 hours than after 5, every time. My sleep optimization guide is the low-effort version.
Contour and hair. A little bronzer under the jawline and a hairstyle that frames your face change your profile in 5 minutes. Not permanent, but very real.
When to See a Professional Instead
If you can’t breathe through your nose comfortably, see a doctor or an ENT first. Mewing won’t fix a blocked airway, and forcing it can make you miserable.
If you have jaw clicking, jaw pain, or a bite that feels off, see a dentist or orthodontist. And if your kid mouth breathes all the time, mention it to their pediatrician or dentist early, since that’s when posture and growth actually connect.
If you liked this, my softmaxxing glow up guide is the gentler take on looksmaxxing. For the full plan, start with my glow up checklist, and if you’re curious about tools, read my microcurrent device guide for beginners. Or try vision board ideas 2027. Or try word of the year 2027. Or try 75 grow challenge.
Start with gentle tongue posture and nose breathing, then work on your neck posture and sleep. Your jawline will thank you more for those than for any 90-day promise.
Key Takeaways
- Mewing means resting your whole tongue flat on the roof of your mouth, with lips closed and nose breathing
- There’s no strong clinical evidence that mewing reshapes an adult jaw, because facial bones mostly stop growing after puberty
- Good tongue posture can still help with nose breathing, a less slack-looking profile, and fewer habits like mouth breathing
- Never push hard, clench, or try bone smashing. Jaw pain is a sign to stop and see a dentist
- evrygal recommends pairing gentle mewing with posture work and depuffing for the most visible jawline change
Last updated: October 27, 2026
FAQ
Can mewing change your jawline as an adult?
Probably not in the bone. Your facial bones mostly stop growing after puberty, and there are no solid studies showing mewing reshapes an adult jaw. What it can change is how your profile looks at rest, because your tongue lifts the muscles under your chin.
Is mewing bad for you?
Gentle tongue posture is safe for most people. It’s the same resting position myofunctional therapists teach. Pushing hard, clenching, or bone smashing can cause jaw pain and headaches, so stop if anything hurts and see a dentist.
Should my teeth touch when I’m mewing?
Your back teeth can touch very lightly or rest just apart. They should never be clenched. If you notice tight jaw muscles by the end of the day, let your teeth separate a little more.
Can I mew while I sleep?
You can’t control your tongue while you’re asleep. But once tongue-up becomes your daytime habit, a lot of people find they mouth breathe less at night. If you snore or wake up with a dry mouth, talk to a doctor.
What’s the fastest way to get a more defined jawline?
Fix your neck posture, cut down on salt and alcohol puffiness, and sleep more. Those show up in days. For instant results, a little contour under the jaw and a face-framing hairstyle do the most.
