Welcome to Second Source, a franchise where we ask real doctors whether social media health trends are legit, neutral, or potentially dangerous. If you’ve ever scrolled past something bonkers and wondered “Is this a thing?” This corner is for you. Welcome.
Want a face like Brad Pitt? In lieu of expensive, invasive plastic surgery, thousands of TikTok-ers have opted for ultra-hard chewing gum as a means to achieving a chiseled jawline. The trend has become popular that one particular proponent of the hack has created his own jawline gum brand. Brett Maverick’s dedicated jawline gum brand — Jawliner — promises to reconfigure your face with a substance 15 times harder than the average pack from the gas station. Each piece purports to help all 86 facial muscles grow while reducing one’s double chin and protecting against tooth decay.
SPY is skeptical. Not only does this feel like a shortcut toward a significant body change, but it feels like a cheap way to exploit male insecurity.
Many of the videos showcase men who are satisfied with their ridiculous, almost satirical, transformations or men clearly making fun of the trend. Maverick, meanwhile, swears by the gum and promotes it alongside his daily “Male Glow-Up Tip” clips.
“An overly-defined jawline seems to be the trend du jour on TikTok,” said Mr Naveen Cavale, a UK-based consultant plastic surgeon at REAL Clinic. “People often have Botox injections in their masseter muscles to reduce their jowls, whereas this is designed to make the masseter bigger. With any trend like this, I will always advise caution… it’ll be over within a few years and there will be something new to take its place.”
Dr. Nilesh Parmar, a UK-based dental surgeon said there have been plenty of “recent fads” focused on getting abnormally large jaw muscles. “In theory, it causes the muscles to react to overuse by enlarging and adding more muscle fibers. This is what causes the ‘enlarged/square’ look.”
Sure, this is a puzzling aesthetic trend, but can products like this actually increase the power of your bite? “In theory, yes,” said Cavale. “The muscle is made bigger so in theory the bite will be stronger as you’re working the muscles more.”
But there is a drawback. Cavale explained that, like any muscle group, the benefits will likely go away unless you continue to regularly train the muscle.
Parmar echoed this advice as well. “As with all muscles, unless you consistently train them, the enlargement will disappear,” he said. “You’re embarking down a life-long use of gums to try and maintain your jaw muscles.”
In addition to the cost of a regular supply of this product, both Parmar and Cavale think the potential pitfalls of chewing hard gum may outweigh any benefits. “The entire jaw musculature system is complex and relies on several muscles/tendons to function in harmony. Over-strengthening just one muscle can lead to an imbalance ultimately leading to jaw pain and dysfunction,” said Parmar.
Parmar said that the ability to bite harder can actually put the joints under stress, and can cause dental damage that will require treatment. “In some cases, the jaw muscles can go into spasm and you may struggle to speak and even eat. I would recommend you refrain from using them.”
Cavale isn’t convinced it’s a trend worth following, either. He explained that the jaw simply isn’t designed to chew repeatedly on something so hard and that doing so may exacerbate serious underlying conditions like temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. “Plus, if you’re one of those people who grind their teeth at night, and you make the muscles stronger, the damage could be worsened by using a product like this,” he said.
Dr Parmar agreed. “Dentists do not recommend any of these devices, and I would recommend you refrain from using them,” he said.
“I think it’s interesting that products like this are being sold when male patients in my clinic want the opposite effect,” said Cavale. “If sharpening up your jawline is of interest, there are other alternatives available such as jawline filler. You won’t run into the same teeth/muscle/gum issues as above, and we can create a subtle but effective result.”
Cavale stressed once that he advises against following surgery and aesthetic trends on social media. “What’s in vogue one day, won’t be the next.”
