Mewing Before and After: What the Photos Really Show
Most mewing before and after photos don't show a changed jaw. They show a different camera distance, head position, light, weight, or age. The American Association of Orthodontists says no current research shows mewing improves the jawline, so a photo pair on its own can't prove it.
That doesn't make every transformation fake, and it doesn't mean your face can't change. It means a before and after pair is only as reliable as the conditions it was taken in. This guide covers what actually changes between two photos, how to read progress posts, and how to take your own comparison photos so the result means something.
New to the technique itself? Start with our mewing guide for how it's done and what the risks are. To track your own face over time, you'll also want a consistent way to read it: Maxxing's attractiveness test gives AI-based feature scores, including jawline and chin, from the same front and side photos every time. These are model estimates, not measurements of bone.
What Do Mewing Before and After Photos Actually Show?
Mewing before and after photos usually show a change in how the face was photographed, not proof of a changed jaw. Camera distance, head and neck position, lighting, weight, and age each change how the jawline, chin, and nose look, and any of them can differ between two photos taken months apart.
Five things explain most of the difference:
Camera distance — a close selfie versus a portrait taken from farther away
Head and neck position — chin lifted or pushed forward versus tucked
Light and expression — shadows under the jaw, a slight smile, a clenched jaw
Weight — less fat in the cheeks and under the chin makes the jaw look sharper
Age — teens and people in their early twenties are still growing
Before and after pairs are the main currency of mewing on TikTok, YouTube, and looksmaxxing communities, which is why mewing before after posts look so convincing. But a pair is an observation, not an experiment. To say mewing caused the change, everything else would have to stay the same, and in casual photos it almost never does.
Why Before and After Photos Look Different Without Any Bone Change
Small differences in how a photo is taken can change how the jawline, chin, and nose look more than tongue posture could. Researchers have measured this for camera distance and head position, and lighting is a known variable in clinical photography.
Camera Distance and Lens
A selfie taken about 12 inches from the face makes the base of the nose appear roughly 30% wider and the nose tip about 7% wider than a photo taken from 5 feet, according to a JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery study. At 5 feet, the researchers found essentially no difference in perceived size.
A later letter in the same journal argued the effect comes from viewing a close-up from the wrong distance rather than from the photo itself being flawed. Either way, the practical point is the same: a close-up and a farther photo of the same face don't look alike, so they can't be compared. A "before" selfie and an "after" photo taken from a tripod are two different pictures of the same face.
Head Position and Neck Angle
In a small 2004 study (3 subjects, 20 raters), raising the chin or pushing the head forward made the jawline look more defined and the area under the chin look smaller. The authors concluded that patient positioning has to be standardized for before and after photos.
Another study of 10 young adults found that tilting the head just 10° changed measured proportions, including making the chin look about 6.8% longer. People who start mewing often start paying attention to posture too, so an "after" photo may be taken with the head carried differently. That can show up in the picture even if nothing under the skin changed.
Lighting and Expression
Light and expression change what the jaw looks like in a photo:
Light from above creates a shadow under the chin; even front light flattens it
A clenched jaw looks more defined than a relaxed one
A slight smile changes measured facial proportions in the same 2011 study
Lighting is also one of the variables clinicians control when they document subtle facial changes.
Weight and Age
A systematic review of facial changes after massive weight loss found a link between large weight loss and facial changes, with the most fat loss in the mid-cheek and loose skin in the neck. The review covers major weight loss, not small swings, but it shows that face shape and weight are connected.
Age matters even more in teen photos. Lower jaw growth follows the pattern of overall body growth during puberty, according to a 2017 study in the European Journal of Orthodontics. A review of jaw changes with age reports that lower jaw growth was about twice as fast at ages 14 to 16 as at 16 to 20, with smaller changes continuing later. A 16-year-old "before" and an 18-year-old "after" are two different faces whether or not the person mewed.
What Realistic Mewing Results Look Like Over Time
No research has shown that mewing reshapes the jaw, so a realistic "after" is mostly a change in habit, not in bone. The American Association of Orthodontists says there is no current research suggesting the technique benefits your jawline or oral health. A 2019 commentary in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery looked at mewing as a social media alternative to jaw surgery.
What people usually report after weeks or months of mewing is a new routine: lips closed, tongue resting up, head carried differently. Those are things you do, and they can change how you look in a photo. Whether they change the face itself in any lasting way hasn't been shown.
A fair "after" photo should therefore pass three checks:
Same conditions — distance, head position, light, and expression match the "before"
Enough time apart — weeks, not days, so the photo isn't catching a good or bad day
Nothing else changed — weight, age, braces, and haircut are accounted for
If a pair fails these, it tells you about the photos, not about mewing. For how long mewing is claimed to take and who it's said to work for, see our breakdown of the claims and the research.
Mewing Before and After Reddit: How to Read Progress Posts
A mewing before and after Reddit post is one person's photos with a story attached, not a controlled result. Before you take it as proof, check what else changed between the pictures. Most of the time, at least one of the factors from this guide did.
Ask six questions of any progress post:
How old was the poster at the start? A teenager's face is still changing on its own.
Did they have braces, aligners, or a retainer? Orthodontic treatment moves teeth and can change the lower face.
Did their weight change? Weight loss changes the cheeks, jaw, and neck.
Are the photos taken the same way? Check distance, head angle, and light, especially in selfies.
How long was the gap, and what else happened in it? A new haircut, facial hair, a tan, or a new routine all change how a face reads.
Who is posting? People share photos that show a change. Photos that show none rarely get posted, so the sample you see is skewed.
Some posters are honest about all of this and some aren't, and you usually can't tell which from the photos. That's why the most useful thing you can take from a progress post is the list of questions, not the result.
Your own photos are the only ones you can control. The section on how to take them is below.
Mewing Before and After Teeth: Can It Move Your Teeth?
Mewing is not an established way to straighten teeth, and pushing hard with the tongue can do the opposite. The American Association of Orthodontists warns that forcing your tongue into unnatural positions may disrupt tooth alignment and worsen bite problems and speech issues.
That matters for mewing before and after teeth photos. When teeth look different in a before and after pair, the likelier explanations are ordinary ones:
Braces, clear aligners, or a retainer
A different smile, lip position, or head angle in the photo
Natural changes in the teeth and jaw as a teenager grows
In a 2024 statement, the AAO said orthodontic treatment is the safest and most effective way to address jaw misalignment and cosmetic concerns. "Hard mewing" adds deliberate pressure, and forced pressure is the part the AAO flags. Our guide to gentle and hard mewing explains the difference and what to avoid.
If you're worried about crooked teeth, a bite problem, or jaw pain, see a board-certified orthodontist instead of trying to fix it with tongue posture. The AAO has a locator for finding one.
Mewing Before and After for Women
We couldn't find any studies comparing mewing results in women and men, so mewing before and after female photos can only be read the same way as everyone else's. The same factors apply: camera distance, head position, light, weight, and age.
Two things are worth adding for women:
Growth timing differs by sex. A study of mandibular growth in two historical cohorts found sexual dimorphism in jaw growth, so a teenager's age tells you less about where their face is in development than it seems.
Styling changes the picture. Hair, makeup, and the way the face is lit can differ between two photos as much as angle does.
In mewing before and after women photos, the lower face and the area under the chin are the parts most sensitive to head position and weight, which is why a standardized photo matters more than the technique.
How to Take Honest Before and After Photos
An honest before and after photo pair keeps everything the same except time: same distance, head position, light, and expression. Clinicians use standardized positioning for the same reason: small changes in how a patient sits or tilts their head can change how the jaw and chin look.
You can do it with a phone:
Set the camera about 5 feet (1.5 m) away. Use a tripod, a shelf, or a timer. A selfie at 12 inches makes features closest to the lens look larger.
Put the camera at eye level and keep the phone straight. Don't tilt it up or down.
Hold your head level. Look straight ahead, chin neither lifted nor tucked. Mark your spot on the floor so you stand in the same place every time.
Use the same light. Same room, same time of day, soft light from the front. Avoid a light directly overhead, which puts a shadow under the jaw.
Keep a neutral face. Lips closed, jaw relaxed, no smile, teeth not clenched.
Keep hair and clothes the same. Pull hair back off the face and neck, and skip hoods and high collars.
Take two angles. One straight from the front and one from the side.
Repeat every four weeks and keep notes. Write down your weight and anything else that changed, such as braces, a haircut, or a new routine.
Even then, a photo only shows how your face looks, not what's happening under it. If you also want scores to track next to your photos, the same front and side pair works for Maxxing's face scan, which rates features like jawline and chin. The scores are AI model estimates and can move with photo quality, so keep the conditions the same there too.
The same rules apply if you’re tracking jawline exercises before and after, or checking jaw exerciser before and after photos: same light, same distance, same relaxed face.
FAQ
Are mewing before and after photos real?
The people are real, but a photo pair isn't proof that mewing caused the change. Camera distance, head position, light, weight, and age can all change how a face looks between two photos.
Can mewing change your face in photos?
Yes, but mostly through the photo, not the bone. Holding your head differently or standing farther from the camera changes how the jaw and chin look, even if nothing under the skin changed.
Can mewing realign teeth?
No research shows it can. The American Association of Orthodontists warns that forcing the tongue into unnatural positions may disrupt tooth alignment and worsen bite problems. Teeth that look straighter in a pair of photos usually have another explanation, such as braces or a retainer.
What do dentists think of mewing?
The American Association of Orthodontists says no current research suggests mewing benefits the jawline or oral health and recommends seeing an orthodontist for jaw or teeth concerns.
Does mewing fix a recessed chin?
No research shows mewing changes how far the chin projects. Head position changes how a chin looks in a photo, but not the bone. If your chin or bite concerns you, a board-certified orthodontist or oral and maxillofacial surgeon can assess it.
Does mewing work for adults or after 25?
No research shows mewing improves the jawline at any age. Jaw growth is fastest in the teens, with smaller changes later. For timelines and age in more detail, see our guide to whether mewing works.
Sources
Does Mewing Actually Reshape Your Jaw? — American Association of Orthodontists
Risks of Mewing (press release, January 22, 2024) — American Association of Orthodontists
Mewing: Social Media's Alternative to Orthognathic Surgery? — Lee, Graves, Friedlander, Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2019
Nasal Distortion in Short-Distance Photographs: The Selfie Effect — Ward, Ward, Fried, Paskhover, JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 2018
Perceived Facial Distortions in Selfies Are Explained by Viewing Habits — Cooper, Banks, JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, 2018
Pitfalls of Nonstandardized Photography in Facial Plastic Surgery Patients — Sommer, Mendelsohn, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2004
Quantification of faults resulting from disregard of standardised facial photography — Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery, 2011
Pitfalls of Photography for Facial Resurfacing and Rejuvenation Procedures — Facial Plastic Surgery, 2005
Soft Tissue Facial Changes Following Massive Weight Loss Secondary to Medical and Surgical Bariatric Interventions: A Systematic Review — Aesthetic Surgery Journal Open Forum, 2024
Evidence of secular trend in mandibular pubertal growth — European Journal of Orthodontics, 2017
Age Changes of Jaws and Soft Tissue Profile — Sharma, Arora, Valiathan, The Scientific World Journal, 2014
