Hair, teeth, and face are the first three features people notice about you. So, it’s unsurprising that when your close friend finally posts the snaps from her birthday weekend on social media, we become preoccupied with how we look.
You can’t tell if it’s because of the unflattering lighting or the extra tequila shot you downed before the photo was taken, but you could have sworn your jawline was more chiseled than how it appears in this photo.
Aligners
You didn’t claim to have the bone structure of Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt before, but the person staring back at you looks like a stranger. Whether you’ve noticed loose skin, weakened facial muscles, or excess fat, many environmental and genetic factors can influence the shape of your jawline (especially as you age!).
While you can’t do anything about your age or genetics, there are several non-surgical ways to improve the shape of your jawline, from completing jaw exercises to mewing. But what is mewing? We outline some of the best nonsurgical ways you can improve the condition of your jawline below:
Although there are many genetical reasons why your jawline might not be as sculpted as others, one of the main ways genetics can affect your jaw is through crooked, uneven, or misshapen teeth, which in turn can affect your jawline.
If this is the case in your instance, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can realign your teeth without braces or reconstructive surgery (depending on the severity of your condition!) using clear aligners. Often considered an upgrade from traditional metal braces, clear aligners can help people straighten out their smile and even alter the appearance of the chin and jaw.
After prolonged periods of wear, aligners put pressure on the jaw, which can encourage bone remodeling and allow your teeth to move into new positions. As a result, you’ll get a differently shaped jaw, as it will also move to accommodate the shifting of your teeth. Learn more about how clear aligners can help you straighten your teeth in a non-invasive way and give you a more defined jawline by visiting the providers’ websites, like ALIGNERCO. Consider visiting their website to learn more about their at-home aligner kits.
Mewing
So, what is mewing? Shooting into popularity after speculation that public figures like Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, and Jennifer Lopez were using the technique to give the illusion of a more streamlined jaw in their photos – mewing involves touching your tongue to the roof of your mouth, resulting in a more sculpted jawline.
While it seems to have exploded on popular social media sites like TikTok and Instagram, mewing itself isn’t new to the oral health industry. Some oral health experts have recommended the DIY facial restructuring technique to correct speech impediments, define the jaw, and even relieve the pain of jaw-related issues.
However, despite its popularity, mewing cannot solve all jaw-related issues, and the results may vary no matter how many tutorials you follow. Therefore, if you suffer from jaw-related problems or worrying symptoms, you should contact an oral health professional before trying alternative treatments.
Do Jaw Exercises
When we think of exercise, we usually think of our legs, arms, and chests; however, unbeknownst to many, your jaw is also a bodily part that can be exercised. Like the rest of our bodies, our jaw contains muscles that can be worked out to achieve more robust features.
These exercises can do a lot more than give your face a more youthful appearance; they can also play a hand in preventing and relieving pain from jaw-related conditions. According to research, regular jaw exercises can prevent chronic pain in the jaw, nerves, muscles, and bones and even reduce the effects of temporomandibular joint disorders.
Although you wouldn’t catch anyone going to the gym to exercise their jaw/neck muscles, you can complete various at-home exercises for sharper cheekbones and a more chiseled jawline. From chin lifts to tongue twists, you can try many jaw exercises in the comfort of your home; however, remember that results may vary, and what may work for some might not for others!
Contour Your Face
One of the easiest (and cheapest!) ways to improve the shape of your jawline without going under the knife is by using makeup to create the illusion of a smaller, angular face. All you need is a contour product, which can cost you as little as $5, and apply it to the jawline, behind the ears, and on your cheekbones.
This creates a shadow that pulls back the areas you want to fool everyone into thinking that they are more sculpted than they appear, giving you a more chiseled jawline. Generally, it’s best to opt for a shade two or three tones darker than your natural skin tone and a powder if you’d like a more natural look or a cream-based product if you want a more dramatic look.
