What is mewing on TikTok?

Another day, another beauty hack to be feverishly devoured on TikTok. Alongside mentions of the Roman Empire and some questionable pasta recipes, the video platform has long been known as the host of countless beauty fads, which often arrive and depart at breakneck speed (remember the mob wife aesthetic?). Among others, TikTok has birthed beauty tricks like latte makeup and hemorrhoid cream for under-eye bags (the latter has been debunked, so proceed at your peril).  

Now, users are bearing witness to yet another beauty trend, this time in the form of mewing. The term itself has amassed over 1.9  billion views on TikTok, with many creators claiming the technique has radically changed their appearance. So, what exactly is mewing, and why does it sound more like something my cat would do than a beauty trick?

What is mewing on TikTok?

Mewing is the practice of pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, in order to create a more defined facial structure. In theory, mewing would allow parts of your face — like your jawline and cheekbones — to become more prominent or chiselled, changing the profile of your neck and chin. While the technique itself has been around for some time (more on that later), its popularity took off on TikTok towards the end of last year, with many users sharing how-to guides and before and after shots of their best-practice mews.

While experts have agreed that the theory around mewing is mostly sound — repositioning the lower face and giving a slimmer appearance — it’s worth noting that the practice is simply a quick fix. Mewing does not permanently alter one’s face shape, and is merely used by TikTokers as a brief technique for photographs. While the consensus around the result of mewing is unclear, the origins of the practice are even murkier. 

The term mewing was coined by British dentist John Mew and his son, Mike Mew. The duo preached the idea of jaw and mouth exercises to alter one’s face shape, though multiple dentists have denounced their claims. One dentist told The New York Times that John Mew was a “complete idiot,” and the career histories of both the Mews aren’t any less controversial.

John Mew stepped down from the London-based orthodontics school he founded in 2017 after publicly denouncing traditional dentistry practices, while his son faced a misconduct hearing after allegedly inappropriately treating a young patient in 2022. As such, it’s useful to approach the practice with a heaping pile of salt, and accept that while perhaps useful in the short term, mewing will not lead to sustained changes to your face. 

In any case, given how TikTok’s attention span is about as short as this writer’s fuse when it comes to feta cheese in pasta, we don’t imagine people will be mewing for much longer.