TikTok Lied: Mouth Tape Won’t Snatch Your Jawline

If you believe the influencers, mouth taping, chin diapers and chewing balls will change your face overnight. The truth is somewhat different.

The wellness industry has a habit of latching onto ideas, stretching them to their ABSOLUTE limits, and then selling them back to us as must-do hacks for optimising our lives and looking toned and snatched as hell.

The latest perpetrator? Mouth taping.

If you believe the influencers, this practice is the secret to better sleep, healthier breathing, sharper jawlines, and even a more attractive face shape. Supposedly, a tiny piece of tape over your lips at night will unlock a whole new level of wellness that you never even knew existed- all while you’re asleep.

Did someone say optimised?

Spoiler alert: There’s no real evidence for any of that.

What Does Mouth Taping Actually Do?

Mouth taping is meant to encourage nasal breathing while you sleep. The logic goes that mouth breathing is bad (it can be, in some cases), and nasal breathing is good (which it generally is). Taping your mouth shut at night is supposed to force you into the “good” category.

I was a Chief Science Officer at a Sleep app- and the psychologists would suggest trying mouth tape in very RARE occasions, for people with very specific sleep problems. It was more of an experimental thing, so I can safely say that you probably don’t need it. But I get it, this isn’t about health, it’s about vanity. So what can mouth taping do for your face?

We’ve all seen the images showing how chronic mouth breathing in childhood can contribute to certain features like a recessed chin. Some people even claim mouth breathing leads to poor concentration (see below)

Source: Mewing.app (by the way- mewing = also not a real thing but certainly a waste of time)

But once your bones have fused in adulthood?
I hate to break it to you but no amount of mouth taping is going to re-sculpt your jawline. If it did, orthodontists would be out of a job.

The ‘Snatched Jawline’ Myth

One of the most baffling claims is that mouth taping will chisel your jawline. If that were true, every adult with a receding chin or narrow palate would be prescribed a roll of surgical tape instead of undergoing years of orthodontic treatment.

I know this firsthand- I literally had a screw drilled into my skull and a metal wire attached to the back molars to prevent unwanted changes in my facial structure when I had several teeth removed (it was a whole thing). If fixing jaw development were as simple as sticking some tape over your lips, the entire field of orthodontics and maxillofacial surgery would have been revolutionised by now, don’t u think?

Where’s the Evidence?

Mouth taping has been studied for its potential effects on sleep, particularly in people with mild obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). A small study published in Healthcare found that mouth taping reduced snoring and improved breathing in some OSA patients. Another study suggested that it could improve sleep quality for people using nasal ventilation.

But- these studies are small, specific, and not nearly comprehensive enough to justify the sweeping claims being made in the wellness space. There is zero reputable scientific evidence that mouth taping reshapes your face or permanently alters your jawline.

Mewing

Mewing is having it’s moment too and I feel like it falls under a similar category - push your tongue up to the roof of your mouth and you can see a more defined jawline.

Great for photos, sure, but doing this as an exercise to change your facial structure over time? Not so much, despite what the lookmaxxers will have you believe.

How can we productise this one? Well, theres a small half of a plastic ball you can chew to ‘train your jaw’. Special thanks to Joe Rogan for promoting this on his podcast, saying he does ‘reps’ with it. Just say chewing- not everything has to be so hyper masculinised hun. I didn’t want to share a link to the clip because honestly, it’s not worth your time, but it’s funny how even the caption here says you can ‘redevelop (??????) your natural jaw… whatever that means.

By the way, the person who started this whole thing (John Mew) had his dentistry licence revoked. His son Mike Mew, who caused the mewing renaissance you see online today- also controversial.

But What About Chin Diapers?

You know the answer, right?

Back to mouth taping:

The Potential Risks

One may think it’s obvious but if you have nasal congestion, taping your mouth shut can actually make breathing more difficult. Some people experience disrupted sleep, skin irritation, or even a suffocating sensation.

I know a woman who’s one of the few looking at this trend in research and she mentioned that we just don’t have enough long term data to prove anything. What she is starting to notice though is a ballooning effect of the cheeks in people who tape their mouth shut but have nasal obstructions. If that sounds like you and your sole purpose is to achieve a slimmer lower face, you might want to reconsider.

Wellness Doesn’t Have to Be This Complicated

Wellness culture thrives on making you feel like you need to constantly optimise, fix, and improve. But the only person who needs to tape their mouth shut is the person convincing you to spend your money on mouth tape.

Readers: If you wish to shape your face or realign your jaw, you should consult a doctor.

Otherwise, deep breaths (through your nose or mouth - honestly, it’s no biggie), prioritise sleep, and don’t let a random TikTok convince you that jawlines happen overnight (No- not even with the chin undies!!!)

Anne-Sophie