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TikTok jesters have over popularized thumb pulling, mewing, and all that fun stuff- but is it really going to make a difference?
THIS IS ALL A REFERENCE TO NoMoreCopiums ON TIKTOK!!! HE DID THE RESEARCH IM JUST SPREADING IT.
let’s get something straight:
☆ bone doesn’t remodel from posture alone thats basic biomechanics.
☆ the human skull isn’t cartilage, it’s cortical bone.
☆ Cortical bone resists deformation under small force
(ie tounge or thumb pressure)
☆ surface level poking isn’t going to change your bone structure- you’d need orthopedic level tension across periodontal ligaments for a difference. along with the fact that it will need to occur over a long period of time for substantial results.
☆ Tongue force at rest isn’t enough to activate osteoblasts, your maxilla won’t even register that
☆ frontomaxillary and zygomaticomaxillary sutures close at age 14-16.
☆ after closure, there is no active osteogentic front
☆ only surgical methods can revise at this point as “you can’t guide what doesn’t grow”
☆ No credible published study shows significant increases in mid facial advancement from using such promoted techniques. Mewing tends to be a statistical flatline.
☆ Real change = biomechanical input above the mechanostat threshold (Frost 1987)
“I did hard mewing and now I have a great jaw!”
Fun fact: Anecdotes ≠ evidence. You matured naturally and credit tongue yoga. Correlation isn't causation biology is.
“But mewing raises the fat under your jaw!”
That droop is just soft tissue movement, not bone. When you mew, your tongue lifts the floor of your mouth, tightening the skin under your jaw like flexing a muscle.
When you stop, gravity and relaxation let the skin hang more freely, which is totally normal.
It’s not proof of structural change just a temporary postural effect.
Think of it like pulling your chin up slightly you look sharper, but your bones didn’t move.
This is why people think mewing works instantly, but it’s just illusion.
Tongue posture primarily affects intraoral equilibrium, not subcutaneous fat displacement.
Submental fat is redistributed only through caloric deficit, hormonal factors, and neck muscle tension.
(Enlow, Facial Growth, 2000)
(Proffit WR, Contemporary Orthodontics, 2018)
☆ It’s true that mewing can help with posture, breathing, and tongue awareness, which can make the face look slightly better short-term.
(Mewing was said to prevent further recession instead of fixing all the troubles that have occurred)
☆ But the big structural promises (forward growth, high cheekbones, jawline transformation) aren’t supported by science just by lighting tricks and anecdotes.
“Thumb pulling can widen your maxilla but grow it forwardly”
Thumbpulling doesnt widen the maxilla skeletally not even orthodontic expanders work like that without separating the suture.
Studies show that force needs to be applied in specific vectors and durations to stimulate bone remodeling, and constant low-pressure from fingers isn't enough.
Recession is usually due to genetics early tooth extractions or mismanaged orthodontics not just mouth breathing or tongue posture.
I may be wrong, but my take on bone-smashing is that no one hits hard enough and consistently enough to significantly damage the bone, only constant pressure makes a change if you’re young.
Bone adapts under controlled orthopedic protocols, not DIY hacks
After all, it’s easier to believe you can push your face into place than accept that biology isn't fair.
References:
@ben27theiqking on TikTok- he had a very detailed post about this subject and I thought it might be insightful to reference his information on here.
Frost HM, 2001
Wang Y, et al, Boone, 2006
Singh GD, et al, Cranio, 2012
Huanca Ghislanzoni LT et al, Progress in Orthodontics, 2015
Guyton and Hall- text book of medical physiology, the chapter on capillary dynamics
Ward et al, Facial Plastic Surgeon, 2018
Frost HM- his mechanostat theory and skeletal adaptation 1987
THIS IS ALL A REFERENCE TO NoMoreCopiums ON TIKTOK!!! HE DID THE RESEARCH IM JUST SPREADING IT.
let’s get something straight:
☆ bone doesn’t remodel from posture alone thats basic biomechanics.
☆ the human skull isn’t cartilage, it’s cortical bone.
☆ Cortical bone resists deformation under small force
(ie tounge or thumb pressure)
☆ surface level poking isn’t going to change your bone structure- you’d need orthopedic level tension across periodontal ligaments for a difference. along with the fact that it will need to occur over a long period of time for substantial results.
☆ Tongue force at rest isn’t enough to activate osteoblasts, your maxilla won’t even register that
☆ frontomaxillary and zygomaticomaxillary sutures close at age 14-16.
☆ after closure, there is no active osteogentic front
☆ only surgical methods can revise at this point as “you can’t guide what doesn’t grow”
☆ No credible published study shows significant increases in mid facial advancement from using such promoted techniques. Mewing tends to be a statistical flatline.
☆ Real change = biomechanical input above the mechanostat threshold (Frost 1987)
“I did hard mewing and now I have a great jaw!”
Fun fact: Anecdotes ≠ evidence. You matured naturally and credit tongue yoga. Correlation isn't causation biology is.
“But mewing raises the fat under your jaw!”
That droop is just soft tissue movement, not bone. When you mew, your tongue lifts the floor of your mouth, tightening the skin under your jaw like flexing a muscle.
When you stop, gravity and relaxation let the skin hang more freely, which is totally normal.
It’s not proof of structural change just a temporary postural effect.
Think of it like pulling your chin up slightly you look sharper, but your bones didn’t move.
This is why people think mewing works instantly, but it’s just illusion.
Tongue posture primarily affects intraoral equilibrium, not subcutaneous fat displacement.
Submental fat is redistributed only through caloric deficit, hormonal factors, and neck muscle tension.
(Enlow, Facial Growth, 2000)
(Proffit WR, Contemporary Orthodontics, 2018)
☆ It’s true that mewing can help with posture, breathing, and tongue awareness, which can make the face look slightly better short-term.
(Mewing was said to prevent further recession instead of fixing all the troubles that have occurred)
☆ But the big structural promises (forward growth, high cheekbones, jawline transformation) aren’t supported by science just by lighting tricks and anecdotes.
“Thumb pulling can widen your maxilla but grow it forwardly”
Thumbpulling doesnt widen the maxilla skeletally not even orthodontic expanders work like that without separating the suture.
Studies show that force needs to be applied in specific vectors and durations to stimulate bone remodeling, and constant low-pressure from fingers isn't enough.
Recession is usually due to genetics early tooth extractions or mismanaged orthodontics not just mouth breathing or tongue posture.
I may be wrong, but my take on bone-smashing is that no one hits hard enough and consistently enough to significantly damage the bone, only constant pressure makes a change if you’re young.
Bone adapts under controlled orthopedic protocols, not DIY hacks
After all, it’s easier to believe you can push your face into place than accept that biology isn't fair.
References:
@ben27theiqking on TikTok- he had a very detailed post about this subject and I thought it might be insightful to reference his information on here.
Frost HM, 2001
Wang Y, et al, Boone, 2006
Singh GD, et al, Cranio, 2012
Huanca Ghislanzoni LT et al, Progress in Orthodontics, 2015
Guyton and Hall- text book of medical physiology, the chapter on capillary dynamics
Ward et al, Facial Plastic Surgeon, 2018
Frost HM- his mechanostat theory and skeletal adaptation 1987
but I appreciate it nevertheless
