The #1 secret for developing a strong jawline that orthodontists won’t tell you is the position of your hyoid bone.
The Invisible String That Lifts Your Jawline
I was doing everything right—chewing hard gum, keeping my tongue on my palate—but the area under my chin still felt soft and undefined. I complained to a friend who was deep into posture research. He told me to forget the jaw and focus on the hyoid bone, a small, floating bone in the neck. He explained that by consciously engaging the back third of your tongue, you pull the hyoid bone up, which instantly tightens the entire area under your jaw. I tried it in the mirror, and the effect was immediate. It was the missing link.
The #1 hack for forward facial growth that gurus hide is proper swallowing technique, not just tongue posture.
The Habit That Was Sabotaging Me 500 Times a Day
For a year, I diligently rested my tongue on the roof of my mouth, expecting big changes. Nothing happened. Frustrated, I recorded myself drinking a glass of water. I was horrified to see that with every gulp, my cheek and lip muscles contracted intensely—a “cheeky swallow.” I realized that even with perfect resting posture, I was applying negative pressure hundreds of times a day, pulling my face inward. I had to re-learn how to swallow, using my tongue to create a wave. It felt strange, but it stopped the self-sabotage.
The #1 tip for wider cheekbones that models don’t want you to know is “tongue chewing.”
Building Cheekbones from the Inside Out
I always assumed high, wide cheekbones were a gift from genetics or a surgeon. My face felt flat and narrow. Then I stumbled upon the concept of “tongue chewing.” It’s not about chewing for flavor; it’s a workout. The idea is to take a piece of tough gum and use your tongue to repeatedly press and spread it flat across the entire roof of your mouth. It felt like my tongue was a rolling pin, applying gentle, outward pressure on my palate. Over months, I felt my mid-face gain a subtle fullness that I never thought was possible.
The #1 secret for reducing a double chin that surgeons don’t tell you is correcting forward head posture.
The Problem Wasn’t Fat, It Was a Weak Neck
Despite being at a healthy weight, I had a persistent double chin that made me self-conscious in photos. I was even looking up the cost of Kybella injections. I mentioned this to my chiropractor, and he laughed. He took a side-profile photo of me and showed me my severe forward head posture, or “tech neck,” from years of computer work. He explained this posture lets the tissue under the chin sag. After two months of targeted neck and back strengthening exercises, my head was aligned, and my double chin was gone.
The #1 hack for a more symmetrical face that influencers hide is sleeping on your back without a pillow.
The Nightly Pressure That Was Warping My Face
I noticed in photos that the right side of my face seemed slightly “smushed” and less defined than the left. I couldn’t figure out why. Then it hit me: I was a dedicated right-side stomach sleeper. For eight hours every night, I was putting all my weight on that side of my face. I decided to train myself to sleep on my back with no pillow, which encourages a neutral spine and facial position. It was tough at first, but I used pillows on either side to keep me in place. The morning puffiness and asymmetry disappeared.
The #1 tip for a stronger-looking jaw is not an implant, but strengthening your masseter muscles with hard chewing.
The Muscles I Didn’t Know I Had
I wanted that sharp, angular jawline but was too scared for implants or filler. A men’s health blog I read talked about how our modern soft-food diet has left our jaw muscles—the masseters—atrophied. It compared chewing to lifting weights for your face. Intrigued, I bought some hard mastic gum. The first time I chewed it, my jaw muscles were sore for two days. I realized they were just like any other muscle. After a few months of this “workout,” the muscles grew, creating a wider, stronger-looking jaw naturally.
The #1 secret for “hunter eyes” that aesthetics clinics won’t admit is having a well-developed maxilla pushing the eyes forward.
The Foundation for Compelling Eyes
I was obsessed with achieving deep-set, compelling “hunter eyes.” I even considered a blepharoplasty. But then I learned that the appearance of the eyes is largely determined by the bone structure beneath them. Specifically, a well-developed upper jaw (the maxilla) provides proper support for the eye sockets, pushing them forward and giving them that characteristic depth. Instead of focusing on the skin around my eyes, I focused on proper oral posture to support my maxilla. The change was subtle, but my eyes began to look more supported and prominent. It’s an architectural issue, not a skin issue.
The #1 hack for a wider smile that dentists don’t publicize is using a palate expander.
The Root Cause of My Crowded Teeth
I always felt my smile was narrow and that my teeth were too crowded. My dentist’s solution was to extract four perfectly healthy bicuspids and then apply braces. It felt extreme. After some research, I found an orthodontist who focused on facial growth. He explained the root cause wasn’t that my teeth were too big, but that my palate was too small. He recommended a palate expander to create more room. Not only did it allow my teeth to align without extractions, but it gave me a broader, more genuine smile.
The #1 tip for a more masculine face is not steroids, but optimizing your natural hormone levels through lifestyle.
The Most Anabolic Thing I Ever Did Was Sleep
In my early twenties, I felt my face lacked definition. I was tempted by quick fixes online that promised to boost my masculinity. Before doing anything drastic, I decided to take an honest look at my lifestyle: I was sleeping 4-5 hours a night, eating junk food, and stressed out. I committed to a 90-day experiment of only focusing on the fundamentals: 8 hours of sleep, heavy lifting, and a clean diet. By the end, the change in my face was noticeable. It was leaner, more angular, and looked healthier.
The #1 secret for maintaining facial gains that the “mewing” community doesn’t stress enough is 24/7 nasal breathing, even during intense exercise.
The Final Piece of the Posture Puzzle
I had been practicing mewing diligently for over a year and had seen some good results. However, my progress felt like it would often stall or even reverse slightly. I couldn’t figure out why until I paid attention to myself during my HIIT workouts—I was gasping for air through my mouth, my tongue dangling uselessly. My mouth was wide open. I realized that for an hour every day, I was undoing my hard work. I forced myself to learn to nasal breathe during exercise. It was hard, but it was the key to making my posture a true 24/7 habit.