Teenagers chew 'facial gum' to get chiseled jawlines

A new trend is spreading among teenagers: chewing tough strips of gum in hopes of achieving a more masculine appearance.

In an article published by The cup On Wednesday, June 12, the outlet did an in-depth analysis of several gum brands that help sell teens on the dream of having a defined “jawline.”

UK-based Rockjaw claims on its website that it was “the first to do it”.

The gum was created in 2020 and “is the first mastic-based chewing gum on the market,” the company touts. It promises that its product is up to 14 times stronger than other brands, which helps “create a robust jaw workout, effortlessly.”

Additionally, Rockjaw claims its gum is “chewed by the world's best athletes and CEOs.”

Meanwhile, Jawz Gum's site has a lot less information, but those interested can fill out a subscription form for a free pack of 10 “jaw-defining gummies.”

While neither brand is aimed specifically at teens, school-age kids are paying attention.

“My 12-year-old son asked me and I said, 'What are you talking about?' ” said board-certified dermatologist Kavita Mariwalla, MD, by The cup.

Mariwalla referenced this trend during a recent speech at a recent Allergan Aesthetics panel that discussed the ethics of social media in aesthetic medicine.

“He told me he heard it would do the same thing as meowing,” the dermatologist continued.

Meowing is another trend that involves “keeping your tongue pressed against the roof of your mouth to help change the shape of your jaw,” according to Health.com. However, there isn't much evidence to suggest that it actually works.

“As a mom, I wondered why he was so obsessed with his jawline at 12 and what social media was feeding him,” Mariwalla said.

The cup also spoke to Henry Dixon, 14, a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina, about a similar trend called looksmaxxing, which has become popular among teens on social media.

“Looksmaxxing,” simply put, is all about maximizing your look. In March, the BBC called it an “extreme social media cosmetics trend.”

“Most kids my age want a sharp, defined jawline due to the promotion of looksmaxxing on TikTok,” Dixon said. The cup. “People want these jawlines because they want to look like models and potentially more attractive.”

“Personally, I don’t have much interest in that sort of thing,” he added.

Before concluding this in-depth analysis, the outlet consulted with renowned cosmetic dermatologist Paul Jarrod Frank, MD, who seemed skeptical of the so-called jawline-defining gums.

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He also said that teenagers should consider waiting until they are old enough to have more manly features.

“Younger people tend to have more natural fat volume in the face,” Frank said. “For lean, fit men, as they age into their 20s and 30s, they will likely naturally see more definition.”