What is mewing, the TikTok trend that gives you a sharp jawline? And why is it being slammed?

Beauty lovers are always looking for a quick fix for their visible imperfections.The not-so-new but completely bizarre quick-fix practice dubbed "mewing," which radically alters one's face, is believed by beauty influencers on TikTok to give you a perfectly chiselled jawline similar to Bella Hadid's.The videos with the #mewing have already amassed over 1.9 billion views.Dentists and other medical experts have warned against it, even though the practice isn't entirely wrong.USA Today quoted plastic surgeon Dr David Shafer as saying, “You see these dramatic posts on social media where somebody looks like they have a frog neck and then all of a sudden they have this perfectly defined jawline. Whether that’s also involving selective editing, it’s hard to tell.”Let’s take a closer look at what is mewing and why experts are concerned about this controversial beauty trend.Also read: Picture Perfect: Why TikTok's latest 'Bold Glamour' beauty filter has been branded toxicTikTok’s latest controversial “mewing” trendMewing is remarkably easy to do.According to WebMD, in this age-old technique, the lips are closed while the tongue is repositioned to press against the roof of the mouth. This exerts pressure on the jawline, causing bone alterations.We bet you're already engaged in it.Mewing is promoted online as a cost-free alternative to cosmetic procedures like plastic surgery and orthodontic treatment, which may run into tens of thousands of rupees.According to USA Today, Dr Shafer explains, “Basically, it’s a way of repositioning anatomy in your neck and lower face. When you look in the mirror, you can practice and push your tongue up in the roof of your mouth and pulling underneath your chin up to make it look slimmer. You can see a difference. When we're taking a picture, people consciously or subconsciously do it."Also read: Elon Musk On TikTok Ban: ‘Will be great for Twitter, but generally I am against banning things’It’s controversialAccording to US fitness magazine Shape, the term “mewing” was coined by a 95-year-old former British orthodontist named John Mew.The magazine quoted LA-based dentist Rhonda Kalasho, DDS, as saying that Mew believes “children can achieve straighter teeth and better breathing habits using techniques like mewing, arguably instead of traditional treatments like orthodontics or surgery.”The term "orthotropics," which focuses on reshaping the jawline and face through training in oral posture, was coined by Mew.However, according to a Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery article, his dental licence was revoked in 2017 "on grounds of misconduct for publicly disparaging the traditional procedures of orthodontic tooth movement."According to the article, mewing is also said to help with sinusitis, sleep apnea, breathing and swallowing problems, speech pathology, and temporomandibular joint discomfort.Nevertheless, John Mew's theory is not supported by strong scientific evidence, according to The Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, "that would make it a viable alternative treatment to orthognathic surgery."Also read: US, UK, New Zealand and more... Why are these countries banning TikTok?Is it effective, though?Experts believe it is understandable that suddenly everyone is thinking more about their lower face today, because “for the last three years, we have all been on Zoom,” as per USA Today.Dr Shafer noted his office has seen a significant increase in appointments for chin or jaw augmentations and neck liposuction.Even though there are not any major negative side effects to mewing, the outcomes, according to some in the industry, aren't what they seem to be.Ultimately, mewing won't help you achieve those long-lasting effects, but it will help you look better in those Instagram pics.They are incorrect in believing it can produce the same kind of long-lasting transformation as surgery."If it's not something you're going to be disciplined and keep up with, then you're not going to see sustained or long-term results and it's definitely a result that will go away once you stop doing the motion," Dr Shafer explained, adding, "It's not something that's risky. It's not something that's going to cause you harm. But I think people need to have guarded expectations."With inputs from agenciesRead all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News,India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.