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Disclaimer
Mewing is relatively a new concept. Though sufficient amount of research has been carried out, one cannot really claim about the effectiveness. Prof. John & Mike Mew have shared scientific analysis on why mewing transformation takes place, if you want to learn the science behind it then you can follow their channel called Orthotropics on YouTube or you can read it here: Mewing & Orthotropy
Mewing is a relatively new concept that has garnered a lot of attention in the past few years. It is single-handedly responsible for placing Orthotropics on the map. However, with the rise of this DIY technique, there has also been an increase in the number of claims where users suggest that mewing hurts. Nonetheless, that takes nothing away from Prof. John Mew and his son, Dr. Mike Mew have transformed the world of facial exercises, tongue positioning, and jawline development.
The word ‘Mewing’ coined by Prof. Mike Mew refers to resting your tongue on the roof of the palate which promotes the ideal growth of the facial bones and maintains correct oral posture.
Mewing has intrigued a lot of young adults and created too much of a social media buzz in the last few years. While there are several pieces of content covering the technique and benefits of Mewing, there are still many topics that are hardly ever spoken about.
Today, we are here to discuss certain scenarios where Mewing hurts. We cannot claim that it’s an immediate side effect, but over time, if you mew incorrectly, it can cause a lot of irreversible damage. Thus, we thought it’s essential for us to share this crucial information about mewing.
Does Mewing Hurt? | Side Effects of Mewing
It is very difficult to figure out if your definition of the correct tongue posture aligns with your peers or not. We can only try to describe our technique in words rather than demonstrating how we practice it.
And due to this, it is not easy to recognize who is or isn’t Mewing correctly. There are some common mistakes people tend to make, however, we will focus on what could be the potential side effect if you were to start Mewing.
We have studied the most commonly addressed concerns online and listed them for you guys to have a clear picture before you go in and try Mewing firsthand.
Sore Facial Muscles
One of the most common side effects of Mewing is experiencing soreness. Mewing can hurt your tongue, jaw, cheeks, teeth, palate, or gums. Feeling a numbing sensation or even mild pain is mostly experienced by every individual at some point, the reason being very simple.
As you are starting to adopt a new tongue posture that your body is not used to, it is straining on your tongue and other facial features. There is no getting away with this one as you are applying extra force on the top of your mouth that hasn’t been applied ever before.
Mild Headache
Mewing can also cause headaches in some cases. Initially, you can experience a thumping sensation in your forehead. It is said that it usually fades after just a few days of Mewing.
Dr. John Mew recommends that your molars (teeth at the back) should be in slight contact while you are Mewing. However, some individuals tend to clench their jaw. This exerts pressure on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) that is the hinge that connects your jaw to your skull.
The pain from your jaw due to the clenching then transfers to other places in the skull, causing headaches
Looseness in Teeth
Mewing can hurt your jaw or at least feel like it is causing a strange pain in your teeth. How mewing works is, it widens the palate (roof of the mouth) and pushes your maxilla forward. And hence, when it expands the roof of your mouth, there is more space for your tongue and teeth.
There are some cases that can lead to looseness in the teeth as the positioning of the teeth is temporarily disrupted by the tongue. One way of avoiding or overcoming this is, to not apply excess pressure against your front teeth.
Always place your tongue behind the front teeth and push upwards rather than forward.
Forward Projection of Nose Bridge
As discussed earlier, Mewing can push your maxilla forward, which is the central bone that forms the upper jaw (as shown below).
By pushing the center of the face forward, Mewing can raise your nose bridge higher than it previously was. This is only easily noticeable in a few individuals when compared to others.
Psychological Distress & Tiredness
Mewing can cause tiredness and psychological distress. Any deliberate practice can be tiring at first as our bodies are not accustomed to those practices. It’s the same when you’re learning how to drive.
It is recommended you do not overthink your oral posture and try to rest your tongue on the palate whenever you remember naturally.
Some individuals tend to obsess over their facial features and appearances which can be unhealthy.
Others
Mewing may even cause side effects that are not mentioned above. However, they are not very commonly occurring to people practicing Mewing. These side effects include a recessed chin, Facial asymmetry, or an ill-defined face.
It is important to note that these are one in a hundred types of cases and usually do not occur unless you are not maintaining a correct head and tongue posture. Check out our commonly made mistakes while Mewing blog for more information on this subject.
Why Does Mewing Hurt?
As discussed above, Mewing can be painful in the beginning phase. However, if you are soft mewing or mewing normally then the discomfort is just temporary and won’t last throughout your mewing journey.
The same can not be said for ‘Hard Mewing’. Hard Mewing is when an individual applies forceful pressure on the palate rather than simply placing the tongue there. The side effects of hard Mewing are much more severe than that of soft mewing.
Hence, to answer the above question, Mewing hurts only when you are trying to apply an excessive amount of pressure on your palate. It is recommended you do not ignore any kind of long term pain and see your dentist as soon as possible. You can also discuss with them the correct oral posture.
Mewing Hurts Different Body Parts?
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Head
Mewing can hurt your head when you are clenching your teeth. Make sure you lightly rest your molar teeth on top of each other. This will make sure the pain fades away in a while.
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Face
Mewing can cause soreness in the facial muscles temporarily while the body is adjusting to the excess pressure applied to the maxilla by the tongue.
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Neck
Mewing can hurt your neck if you do not have an erect back posture. Forward head posture is a postural disorder commonly found in adults which can lead to pain in the neck, back, and shoulders.
Can Mewing Ruin Your Face?
While Mewing does have some side effects, they only occur during the initial phase and fade away with time as your body gets used to the correct oral posture.
Mild soreness is normal, however, is discomfort lasts for a longer period of time it is recommended you consult an orthodontist.
Hence, to answer the question – Can Mewing ruin your face? No, if practiced correctly, Mewing doesn’t do any damage to your jaw or facial features. However, mewing hurts if you apply unnecessary pressure to the palate in the early stages or clenching your jaw.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, we can say that sticking to the basics of Soft Mewing is key. Mewing hurts when you apply unnecessary pressure with the intention of getting quick results. While, you might not get results, you’re sure to complicate and cause serious damage to your facial structure.
To anyone concerned about whether to start Mewing or not, you can rest assured that there are no major side effects. However, if you experience extreme discomfort, we recommend you to stop practicing the tongue posture immediately.
When it comes to Hard Mewing, we would say it is not necessary for optimum results, especially when you’re just starting out. Soft Mewing is the way to go.