If you want to achieve the model look, then you probably want to have hollow cheeks. Luckily, mewing and cheek hollows go hand in hand.
Mewing can give you hollow cheeks. That is because it helps you get more prominent cheekbones, which creates a shadow under your cheekbones. Also, proper swallowing technique helps atrophy your cheek muscles, which creates a hollow look.
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What Is Mewing?
Mewing refers to proper tongue posture. Back in ancient times, cavemen had stronger jaws and better jaw alignment.
This is because cavemen had proper tongue posture and regularly used their jaws to tear and eat hard meat. Since we live a sedentary lifestyle with a much softer diet composed mostly of processed foods (yogurt, cooked veggies, etc.), our jaws and tongues are not used as much.
When you mew, you are focusing on correcting your tongue posture. You also do a few other things like the proper swallowing technique and engaging the muscles under your chin.
Mewing helps you get higher cheekbones, a chiseled jawline, and cheek hollows.
Mewing may be difficult for some people at first since you are developing a new habit. If you feel tired while you mew, then that means you are on the right track.
Mewing needs continuous effort, and it can be a challenge to maintain. However, it can get easier with time since you train your body to get used to it.
If you want to learn how to mew correctly, see our guide.
Some people have narrow palates, which can make it difficult for them to mew. Try to mew for several months. The pressure from your tongue should help your palate naturally expand.
However, you may not be able to mew at all if your palate is too small. You can consult an orthodontist or physician to see if you can get a maxillary skeletal expander to expand your palate.
How Mewing Gives You Cheek Hollows
When you have proper tongue posture, you are applying pressure on your palate and expanding it. The pressure on your palate helps your upper jaw and cheekbones slowly move upward.
As your maxilla and cheekbones go up, they will protrude. It makes you have more defined cheekbones, and it can also help you get cheek hollows.
So mewing does not necessarily help you grow your facial bones. It focuses on changing the position to help you achieve a more defined and model-like look.
If you want to learn about other ways you can get cheek hollows, click here.
Keep Your Genetics In Mind
While mewing can enhance your facial appearance, it cannot completely change the way you look. Your genes will be a dominant factor in your facial appearance, including your cheekbones and getting cheek hollows.
While you cannot change your cheekbones’ size and shape without surgical and non-surgical methods (dermal fillers, cheekbone implants, etc.), you can change the position of your cheekbones. You can achieve that by changing your habits with mewing.
How You Can Do the Proper Swallowing Technique
Keeping tongue posture correct is an integral part of mewing. However, you cannot forget about the proper way you should swallow. Here is how you can do the proper swallowing technique:
- When you swallow, firmly press your tongue against your palate.
- While you swallow, your facial expression should not change.
- You should feel the thyroid rise when you do this.
So, when can you practice the proper swallowing technique? You can do it each time you eat and drink. However, the best time to practice is when you drink liquids.
It would be best to stop chugging liquids because you usually utilize your cheeks more than your tongue when you chug. It would be best to drink liquids at a steadier pace with your tongue on your palate.
Here is how you can practice doing the proper swallowing technique:
- Hold a small sip of water in your mouth.
- Lean forward, so your mouth directly points to the floor.
- Smile with your teeth showing.
- Without letting your lips touch, swallow the water.
When you smile while facing the floor, the water will not spill out. Your tongue goes up to your palate to keep the water from choking you. The technique helps you create a seal with your tongue and palate.
Repeat the steps a few times. Remember to take note of your tongue’s position when you do it.
The middle to back part of your tongue should firmly push against your palate. Once you feel confident that you can do it without water, you can try it again while standing up. You will only partially be doing mewing correctly if you are not following the proper swallowing technique.
You engage your buccinator muscle when you use the improper swallowing technique, according to Dr. Mew. The buccinator muscle is under your cheeks.
The more you use the buccinator muscle, the larger it gets. Large buccinator muscles can make your cheeks bigger and pudgier.
Time: 1 Year
Since you are correcting your swallowing technique with mewing, it will help you reduce your buccinator muscles’ size. You will lessen how often you use your buccinator muscles, which will lead to atrophy.
Atrophy is when your muscles break down. That will mean there will be less tissue on your cheekbones and cheeks, which will help you get more defined and hollow cheeks.
However, it is crucial to note that mewing may not help you get cheek hollows if you have lots of fat on your cheeks. If you have a high body fat percentage, then you need to lose the excess weight while mewing to get cheek hollows.
It would be best if you skipped the BMI calculator to base how much body fat you have. The body mass index is not an accurate measure of body fat (Romero-Corral et al., 2008).
The body mass index does not know how to tell the difference between body fat and muscle. It can be an issue if you want to know how much body fat you have using the BMI calculator, especially since muscle weighs more than fat.
Let’s say you are a muscular person. The BMI calculator will tell you that you are overweight because of your measurements and weight, but a physician will tell you that you are not overweight.
Therefore you need to lose weight until your abs show and lose a few more pounds. If your abs are showing, that means you have a low body fat percentage. If it does not work, you can go for other methods to remove excess cheek fat like buccal pad reduction.
How Long Will It Take for Me to See Progress?
Each person is different, so progress varies. However, children and teens can see visible progress within months because their bones are very malleable.
It can take six months to a few years for adults to see progress. While bones are still malleable no matter how old you are, it would be more difficult for an adult to see results quickly. However, you might be able to get your cheek hollows rather promptly if you are an adult.
It can take a few years to move your cheekbones and maxilla up and forward. However, buccinator muscle atrophy can occur after a few months of mewing, so you will not have to wait long to get cheek hollows as an adult.
