Mewing: How Long Until You See Results?

We live in a quick fix society. Even though most of us logically realize that real results can take time, that doesn’t stop us from wanting them right away. This is especially true with something like mewing, where we’re hoping to improve both our health and our appearance for the better. 

So, how long do you need to mew to see results? 

Mewing can take several months, or even several years. Teenagers and young adults will see changes much quicker than older adults, possibly within 6 months. That said, everyone looks better while they’re actually mewing with proper tongue posture. And the more you mew, the better you’ll feel and the quicker you’ll see results. 

As with anything, the results you see from mewing will depend on the effort you put into it. Here’s what you need to know.

What is Mewing?

If you’re wondering how long it will take to see mewing results, then you’re probably familiar with the concept. But just in case, here’s a quick refresher. 

‘Mewing’ is the colloquial name given to correct tongue posture. Maintaining good tongue posture is good for your health (by improving breathing and alleviating snoring, for example). It can also help fix a receding chin and in general create that more chiseled jaw we all seem to want. 

When you mew, you place your whole tongue on the top of your mouth (also called your ‘palate’), focusing on the back of the tongue as much as possible. Learn more about where to place your tongue when mewing here. Your lips should be closed, and your teeth should be so close they’re almost touching but not quite. 

Ideally, as with good posture in general, you want this tongue posture to be your default setting. And just like with good posture in general, there’s going to be times when you slouch (or when your tongue falls back to the bottom of your mouth). 

That’s ok. As long as you’re making a conscious effort to incorporate mewing into your day, you’re going to get benefits (and learn more about how many hours a day you should mew here). Ideally, you’ll get to a point where you’re mewing for 4-8 hours a day.

Hard Mewing Is Different

Note that some people mistake mewing with hard mewing, which is something you usually do to speed up and enhance the impact of mewing on your physical appearance (i.e.: if you’re really focused on getting a more defined jaw).

Hard mewing is about pressing your tongue against your palate as hard as you can. Usually, you hard mew for a few minutes, pause, and then hard mew again.  

If you’re anxious to strengthen your jaw sooner, you might also try tongue chewing, or chewing hard gum (Falim is a favorite in the mewing community). But note that as with any muscle, it’s absolutely possible to strain your jaw muscles (i.e.: don’t go crazy). 

How Long Until You See Mewing Results?

OK, now onto the fundamental question. Let’s assume that you’re able to mew for the recommended 4 to 8 hours a day. And let’s assume that you’re doing some amount of gum chewing or other jaw strengthening exercises, too. How long until you start to notice visible results?

So far, we’re lacking scientific research on the long term effects of mewing (which is why Mike Mew is actively advocating for more). So most of what we know about results come from personal anecdotes, both from practitioners and from dentists. 

We do know that using oral appliances can change face shape in just a year. And we also know that facial skeleton is not fixed, and that some sutures in the face don’t fully set until around age 68 (source).

Beyond this, younger adults are going to see much quicker results than adults. 

“I’ve been amazed at some of the results I’ve seen in people who are 17 or 18 or 19 years old,” 

(Dr. Mike Mew)

Older Mewers Will See Slower Results

After the age of 25 or possibly 30, Mew warns that dramatic results won’t come so quickly.  If you’re really mewing well, he says you might see a .5 – 1 millimeter of change in a year. That might not seem like a lot—-but over years, those millimeters will start to add up. 

“It’s effectively compound interest,” he says. “And don’t forget the health benefits of what you’re doing.”

So if you’re an adult (like me), then don’t expect to see changes overnight. And heck, even if you’re younger, it’s still going to take some time before you see meaningful results. 

“Facial appearance is not as set in stone as I think that we sometimes like to feel that it is,” says Dr. Mew in a video about the effect of forces on bone. “You can change it, and you can change it for the positive, but it is hard work and it’s a long time.”

Examples of Mewing Results

Like we’ve covered, to date, we don’t have good longitudinal studies on the results of mewing. And of course, we’re all aware of the extremes people will go to photoshopping images. So when looking for examples of mewing, try to vet the source as much as possible. 

I like this story, from Men’s Health:

In this mewing example, Cam Jones attempted to see if he would see results in just 30 days. I like that he’s very upfront about the challenges of mewing, along with his results. 

Did he dramatically change his jawline, becoming a chiseled male model in weeks? No. 

Did he feel better about his appearance, did he start breathing through his nose more (which is great for your health), and did he become more aware of his posture and keeping his neck more in line with his spine? Yes and then some. 

So while 30 days wasn’t enough to totally restructure his face, Cam certainly enjoyed positive changes from his mewing efforts. 

I also think Youtuber Tina Tomato is a great advocate for mewing:

In this video, you can see the results she enjoyed from mewing (and related activities) in one year. 

And this video shows the results enjoyed by another adult woman, this time after two full years of mewing. I find the impact on her shoulders and her overall posture most impressive. 

Finally, I always like to tell people to remember that while mewing isn’t really a quick fix … it can make your face look immediately better while you’re doing it. Any model walking down the runway? They’re probably mewing. Any celeb having their picture taken for a magazine cover? Mewing, again. 

So while mewing can’t change your face right away, it can immediately make your face look better while you’re doing it. In other words, the more the mew, the better you’ll look—-even if you’re not causing dramatic changes in your face shape.  

Mewing isn’t a quick fix—-but it works

Mewing isn’t a get-beautiful-quick scam. It’s a lifestyle choice that can help you breathe better, stand up straighter, and live a little more healthfully. It’s one tool in your healthy living toolkit.

“You want someone to fix you. I’m not here to fix you,” says Mike Mews. I’m here to help you fix yourself.”

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