Origins, Facts and Myths of Meowing – The Viral Trend that Claims to Redefine Jawline and Facial Beauty Without Expensive Surgery
From the fringes of TikTok, a jawline-beautifying technique has taken the social media platform by storm, garnering over 10 billion views to date. Few beauty trends have captured people’s imaginations quite like “me-ing,” a trend that highlights the intersection of alternative medicine, the influence of social media, and growing interest in non-traditional approaches to facial beauty and orthodontics. But what exactly is me-ing, and why is it such a hot topic?
Mewing is a technique that grew out of the work of Dr. John Mewing, a British orthodontist in his 90s. Since the late 1970s, Dr. John Mewing and his son Mike have advocated for orthotropic treatment, an alternative approach to traditional orthodontic treatments such as braces and tooth extractions. The treatment focuses on improving oral posture by placing the tongue, teeth, and lips in specific positions. The method involves placing the tongue against the roof of the mouth, aligning the teeth, and closing the lips. Proponents of mewing claim that consistent practice can change the shape of the jaw and the overall aesthetic of the face.
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Although the technique has gained popularity, especially on social media platforms, it remains controversial among medical professionals. Orthodontic experts have largely dismissed the technique. Many medical experts point out that there is not enough scientific evidence to support the purported benefits of mewing.