Facial gum is all the new trend on TikTok, but does the product work?

TikTok has given the world some unusual fashions, from cooking chicken in NyQuil for stepping on a milk pyramid creates. Now, a new trend on the social media platform is winning over young people who want to get a chiseled jawline.

Some companies – including Stronger Gum, Jawz and Rockjaw – have released chewing gum products called “facial gum,” which are marketing heavily on TikTok. Companies that sell facial gum claim that their products will make your jaw muscles stronger and more defined, improving your physical appearance.

“Stronger jaw muscles are not only beneficial for facial appearance, but also essential for health,” states Stronger Gum on its website. “Strong jaw muscles promote correct oral posture: mouth closed, teeth aligned, tongue resting on the roof of the mouth and stable head position. Correct oral posture brings many important benefits, such as breathing through the nose, providing up to 20% more oxygen to the body .”

Gum products sell for as little as $2 per pack of 10 gum at US$90 for one package of six pieces. Companies are selling a special type of gum called mastic, a tree resin that is harder to chew than regular gum. Because of its texture, it can be chewed for longer, from 30 minutes to two hours, which in turn exercises the jaw muscles, the companies claim.

In an email to CBS MoneyWatch, Rockjaw founder Sachin Patel said there is evidence that mastic gum helps shape the chin, citing a 2019 study. to study from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, which concluded that “chewing force can cause changes in facial structure.”

“There are studies that show that increased chewing with higher mechanical loads increases jaw muscles and bone size,” Stronger Gum owner Tomas Palomaki told CBS MoneyWatch in an email, pointing to the same study . “As anecdotal evidence, I increased the size of my jaw muscles by chewing gum harder for less than a year.”

Do facial gum products really work?

Facial gum may be the latest social media trend in men’s beauty, but there is no scientific evidence that chewing the product will sculpt someone’s jawline, dental professionals tell CBS MoneyWatch.

The American Dental Association said it doubts the gums work. Chewing harder gum can strengthen the jaw muscles, but it cannot alter the “undersurface of the jaw line,” which can actually lead to a wider jaw and face, the group said in a statement. declaration posted on your website.

“Most viral trends are rarely supported by scientific evidence and can range from ineffective to harmful when it comes to oral health,” ADA spokesperson Edmond Hewlett told CBS MoneyWatch.

Chewing harder gum can actually have other adverse effects on someone’s health, Hewlett added.

“Chewing gum heavily for long periods of time on a regular basis — especially if it is dense or has a thick consistency — can lead to symptoms such as jaw pain, headaches and put you at risk for temporomandibular disorders,” said Hewlett, a professor of dentistry at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Why is facial gum so popular?

Facial gum is just one of the many trends younger consumers have embraced in hopes of defining their jawline. Another technique, made famous by British orthodontist John Mew and called “mewing,” involves flattening the tongue against the roof of the mouth for long periods of time throughout the day.

Popularized on TikTok, meowing, like face gum, is part of a larger trend known as “looksmaxxing” – a collection of behaviors and products aimed at men and promoted as effective in helping men improve their physical appearance. Like most appearance-enhancing trends, meowing has been rejected by some doctors, who consider it an ineffective way to alter facial structure.

“Facial restructuring is not simply achievable by altering the resting position of the tongue,” the American Association of Orthodontists said in a statement. declaration in January. “It’s a complex process that involves moving the jaw bones, facial bones, and soft tissue. Mewing has generated significant buzz on social media recently. However, there is no current research to suggest that the technique provides any benefit to your jaw or oral health.”