As people age, the shape of their face begins to change. As fat builds up in the neck, the skin begins to sag and the jaw muscles begin to shrink. This may cause your jawline to become less defined.
While changes to your face due to genetics or aging are perfectly natural, there are some exercises you can do to help define your jawline. Exercising the neck, chin, jaw, and other facial muscles can lead to subtle changes in your face, including sharper cheekbones and a more prominent jawline. One study found that performing regular facial exercises for 20 weeks led to fuller cheeks and a more youthful appearance.
Jawline Exercises Benefits
Some jawline exercises can make your face look more defined by toning the muscles in your face and jaw. Most of the time, these changes will be subtle.
Additionally, jawline exercises can help prevent pain in your neck, head, and jaw. Studies show that jawline exercises may help reduce the effects of temporomandibular disorders, or chronic pain in the jaw muscles, bones, and nerves.
Certain jawline exercises involving the placement of your tongue — often called "mewing" on social media — have gone viral online as a way to supposedly align your teeth and improve the aesthetics and shape of your jawline. But there's no scientific evidence to back up claims that you can sculpt the physical shape of your face through these exercises alone.
Do Jawline Exercises Work?
While research is limited, some studies do indicate that you can use jawline exercises to tone and strengthen the muscles in your face, jaw, and neck to give you a firmer, more youthful-looking face.
Certain jawline exercises also work to reduce your discomfort if you have neck or jaw pain caused by temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) involving the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
But despite the online buzz, you can't physically reshape the bones in your face or realign your teeth through jawline exercises. In fact, doing jawline exercises such as mewing — where you put your tongue in unnatural positions in an attempt to change the shape of your jawline — may actually cause bite and speech problems and could make your teeth less aligned.
Best Jawline Exercises
Jaw and neck muscles are rarely exercised in a gym setting. Over time, this can cause sagging skin, a less defined jawline, or even neck pain. These jawline exercises can help create a defined jawline and prevent neck pain, jaw pain, and headaches.
Neck curl-up
Neck crunches are like an abdominal crunch or curl. This exercise activates neck muscles that are rarely used, so be sure to take it slow and stop if you feel any pain.
- Step 1: Lay down on your back and press your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
- Step 2: Bring your chin to your chest, lifting your head about 2 to 3 inches off the ground.
- Step 3: Slowly lower your head back down and repeat.
Vowel exercises
By sounding out vowels and stretching your mouth, this exercise targets the muscles around your lips.
- Step 1: Open your mouth to create an “O” sound. Exaggerate the vowel to tighten the muscles.
- Step 2: Then, open your mouth to create an exaggerated “E” sound.
- Step 3: Repeat the “O” and “E” movements.
Collarbone backup
The collarbone exercise engages the muscles under your chin that support your jaw.
- Step 1: Sit down on the floor or in a chair.
- Step 2: Slowly bring your head back several inches until you feel the muscles on the side of your neck contract, keeping your chest as still as possible and making sure that your ears stay over your shoulders. Keep your chin parallel to the floor as you move.
- Step 3: Repeat the same motion, but this time push your head forward.
Chin-up
The chin-up exercise lifts the facial muscles in the lower half of your face, including your jaw.
- Step 1: Close your mouth and slowly push your jaw forward.
- Step 2: Lift your lower lip and push up until you feel the muscles in your chin and jawline stretch.
- Step 3: Stay in this position for about 10 seconds before repeating the exercise.
Tongue twister
The tongue twister targets muscles below the chin to tone the jawline.
- Step 1: Place your tongue at the roof of your mouth, just behind your teeth.
- Step 2: Press your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth to create tension.
- Step 3: Hum and make a vibrating sound to activate your muscles.
Safety Considerations
When doing these exercises, it’s important to take it slow. Muscles along the neck and jaw are often underdeveloped. This means going too fast or doing too many reps can cause neck strain. If you feel any pain during these exercises, you should stop right away. Check your form and make sure your neck is properly aligned, but if the pain persists, see your doctor.
Experts recommend exercising for about 30 minutes a day at least six days a week to see significant results. It’s best to begin with a few minutes a day and work your way up. It takes time to develop these muscles and even more time to see results. If you do these exercises too intensely, you could damage the bone or cushioning cartilage in the jaw joints, leading to pain and jaw injuries.
If you’re already experiencing jaw pain, check with a health care professional or a neuromuscular dentist to see if these exercises are right for you.
Takeaways
You can perform jawline exercises to make the muscles in your face and jaw a little bit firmer. Start slow with these exercises to avoid straining the muscles in your neck and jaw, and stop right away if you're experiencing jaw pain or numbness. Talk with your doctor if the pain in your jaw persists so they can find the best treatment for you.
Jawline Exercises FAQs
Can chewing gum improve jawline?
Chewing gum won't change the appearance of your jawline, as the shape of your jaw is determined by your genetics.
Is it important to take a doctor’s advice before practicing jawline exercises?
If you're already having jaw pain, see a doctor before you start these exercises. Stop the exercises if they become painful.
Which foods should I avoid for a chiseled jawline?
Cut down on heavily processed or prepackaged foods, which usually have higher amounts of added sugar, calories, and sodium that are linked to weight gain and bloating, which may alter your jawline.
