Can Mewing Fix A Recessed Chin?


Mewing corrects certain facial problems. The most common of these is fixing a recessed chin or jaw and making the jaw more prominent. Most people who mew are in on it for the benefit of having a more attractive face.

Mewing can fix your recessed chin or jaw, but only to a certain extent. When a recessed chin is due to mouth breathing and incorrect oral posture, mewing can fix it, but it will take years. But when you have a true retrognathic jaw or recessed chin, mewing will not grow new bone.

A recessed chin is not conventionally attractive. It would take a special look to pull off a recessed chin. So, it makes sense that many people mew to fix their recessed chins as mewing is supposed to bring the whole face forward and improve the facial plane. However, the answer is not as simple as that.

The causes of a recessed chin can range from mouthbreathing to congenital defects. Mewing may not help with a severely recessed chin, and mewing should not be your only answer. It would be best if you tried consulting with a specialist first before deciding to mew. They might have another solution for you that will work better with your situation.

One of the best examples of mewing fixing a recessed chin so far is YouTuber AstroSky:

Keep in mind that the “before” photo is already after a few years of mewing. But Astro went even further and lined up his facial profile with more mewing. While mewing may not grow new bone, it can still properly align both of your jaws.

My theory is that while mewing, your hyoid muscles also push upwards on your jaw:


Consider one of our custom facial reports if you’re interested in determining whether one or both of your jaws are recessed.

What Is a Recessed Chin?

A recessed chin is when the chin or lower jaw is retracted and doesn’t line up with the upper jaw like it’s supposed to. It is referred to as a weak chin in other situations. When the chin is too far back from the rest of the face, it is also called retrogenia. 

There are many possible causes for having a weak or receding chin. It could be because of a condition you were born with or merely the course of aging. Normally, the chin receding over time is normal in both males and females. The chin and jaw may lose some tissue as we grow older, and receding chins are not surprising in older people. 

In infants, it’s a different story. Infants are born with incompletely formed chins. This incompleteness causes their chins to be retracted compared to the rest of their face. However, this will change a lot over time as the mandible continues to grow. This study by Sharma et al. (2014) discusses that very growth. They concluded that a baby’s face isn’t a smaller version of an adult face because the features go through many changes in the soft tissue. Another interesting finding is that men’s chins become more protruded compared to women. This disparity is likely because of the more significant changes in the mandible of men.

Another common cause for a receding chin is an overbite. An overbite or overjet is when the upper row of teeth is further positioned than the lower set. Ideally, people should have a normal overbite. When the upper and lower set of teeth are perfectly aligned, this can cause other teeth problems. However, there are some people whose overbites are beyond the normally accepted overbite. These people have a deep overbite.

The maxilla (upper jaw) in a deep overbite puts the mandible and the chin at a disadvantage. The chin will look recessed, and the face will look droopy. Of course, this is not always the case with overbites. Some might have it worse, while others might not have so much of a recessed chin. In the latter situation, braces are a good fix.

Craniofacial Dystrophy
The process of facial recession and craniofacial dystrophy

Yet another cause of a receding chin is improper oral posture. When you breathe through your mouth, this creates an indirect effect on your bones’ position, and you will have a recessed chin and a droopy face. Fortunately, if this is not too bad, you can try fixing it with mewing. Unfortunately, this takes years to develop, meaning that it might take years to fix.

Mewing With a Recessed Chin

The source of a recessed chin is what should be taken into consideration first of all. If the cause of a receding chin is due to incorrect oral posture, then mewing will likely fix it. But mewing is not the ultimate answer.

Some sources will tell you that facial exercises will not work in fixing your recessed chin. The exercises cannot do this because a few minutes of exercise a day is not enough to move the bone. The good thing is that mewing is 24/7, and can move bone when done consistently over several years.

When you mew, you are placing pressure on the maxilla urging it to rotate forward and upward. The mandible also adapts this motion, and it will follow suit. From that, you can already tell that a recessed chin is likely to be fixed by mewing. Many before and after pictures of mewing showcase improved chins. Take a look at some of these below:

mewing young

Source: Imgur

Source: IMGUR

The most important thing to remember is that mewing is not your only option. In many cases, it won’t be an option at all.

If you’re not happy with your face as it currently is, mewing won’t fix your chin/jaw problems. See an orthodontist or maxillofacial surgeon to get real results.

You should consult with a professional on what cosmetic treatments are available to you. Mewing is a great technique, and it has many benefits, but it is not the ultimate answer.

Other Options

Braces

A ubiquitous way to fix a recessed chin is by doing so with braces. Often, the braces’ target is not the chin exactly but the other causes of a recessed chin. These causes include overbites or overjets. An overbite is fixable with braces in many people, so it follows that a receding chin will be changed.

Chin Augmentation

There are different types of chin augmentation or genioplasty. Some procedures require implants, while others restructure the bone itself. 

One option would be to go for chin implants. They are good for the less severe recessed chins. The procedure involves making a small incision in which to fit the implant. The cut can be made inside the mouth or below the chin. This option leaves minimal to no scarring but will need weeks of recovery time. But, the patient can resume work in as little as seven days.

A sliding genioplasty is the best option for restructuring the placement of the bone. The surgeon cuts into the bone and tries to restructure it to make the chin more protruded and the face more balanced. In most cases, the patient will have to stay in the hospital for a night or two after the procedure.

Though these procedures are relatively safe, some complications come with chin augmentation since they are invasive procedures. If you consider this option to fix your receding chin, make sure you consult a specialist and only allow a board-certified plastic surgeon to work on your face. 

Sliding Genioplasty
Genioplasty Before/After

Fillers

Dermal fillers are the nonsurgical option to chin augmentation. This procedure is way less invasive and only consists of strategically injecting fillers in a certain area. A downside to this option is that you will likely need to get it done multiple times as the fillers break down and lose their effects. Fillers also smush and don’t hold their shape well, so for that reason should only be considered as a final option.

Regardless, if you are looking for a quick, noninvasive way to get your receding chin fixed, dermal fillers can work, but I would use them as a testing ground to prepare you for genioplasty or a chin implant.

Conclusion

A recessed chin is a problem many people face. Though it is cosmetic, it could potentially lead to other problems such as sleep apnea. Remember that mewing takes years to work and won’t save you if you’re not currently happy with your face. Consulting an orthodontist or surgeon to fix your problems will be a much more realistic solution.

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