A young man with a sharply defined jawline faces the camera, promising viewers they can achieve a similar look to Clark Kent. He runs a finger along his jaw as if it could cut glass. Near the end of the video, one of many on TikTok and YouTube, he attributes his chiseled appearance to chewing extra-hard gum.
Brands like Stronger Gum and Jawcko claim their products can sculpt jawlines in just weeks. This pitch has captured the attention of many Gen Z men who believe that chewing stiff gum will enhance their jaw muscles, giving them a more traditionally masculine appearance. This trend is especially popular in “looksmaxxing” online communities, where young men share tips to improve their looks.
You never knew the chewing gum industry was worth this much money.
Guess how much Wrigley Gum sold for…
Gonna start posting the throwbacks to where this all started for those of you who just met me.
Started at the chewing gum industry, ended up at the… pic.twitter.com/onEJ9suqBt
— Ian Carroll (@Cancelcloco) July 13, 2024
“Say goodbye to a weak chin and hello to a jawline that commands attention,” boasts Jawliner, a brand selling “Facial Fitness” gum, on its website. Despite the steep price, Jawliner has sold over a million pouches since 2022, according to company spokesperson Tiffany Tran, who noted that 60% of customers are aged 18 to 25.
Antonio Eversgerd, a 17-year-old from Mandeville, Louisiana, bought a package of hard gum on Amazon after seeing a YouTube video claiming it would help him grow bigger jaw muscles. His classmates and his younger brother’s friends also chew it. “It’s all over social media,” he said. However, his mother, a cosmetic dentist, made him throw it away. Dr. Daniela Eversgerd, who frequently treats temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, receives inquiries about hard gum from young patients each month. Some come in with jaw pain or damaged fillings likely caused by excessive chewing. “You’d have to chew gum for hours daily for years to get the effect they’re after,” Dr. Eversgerd said. “The risks outweigh the benefits.”
The trend gained momentum around 2021, boosted by influencers like 19-year-old Dillon Latham and neuroscientist Andrew Huberman, who mentioned mastic gum on his podcast. Mastic, a tree resin used since ancient Greece, has also been embraced by the looksmaxxing community.
Lana Del Rey came on the stage mad as hell smoking a cigarette, chewing gum, and about to serve the worst vocals of her entire career while looking the most slay as humanly possible pic.twitter.com/gqEMNOLgfW
— honeymoun (@honeymounz) November 9, 2022
Hard gum is also popular in Reddit groups dedicated to “mewing,” an unproven technique for jawline definition that has moved from incel communities into the mainstream. Carson Teagarden, a 19-year-old fitness content creator from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, wanted to try the gum after seeing social media models with pronounced jaw muscles. “Everyone wants to look their best and attract girls,” he said. After testing Jawliner gum in a TikTok video that garnered over a million views, about 200 people bought the gum through his link, earning him around $5 per order.
Recent articles have noted the scant evidence supporting the idea that chewing gum can significantly alter one’s appearance. Gum companies point to small studies suggesting that gum chewing can increase bite force and that a hard diet changed jaw structure in mice. However, dentists believe any visible effects of chewing hard gum would be minor and temporary.
Safety concerns are more pressing, especially for young people whose jaws are still developing. The American Dental Association warns that prolonged chewing of dense gum could lead to temporomandibular disorders, causing jaw joint and muscle pain. Online trends like using gum to shape one’s jawline “are rarely backed by scientific evidence and can range from ineffective to harmful,” the organization added.
Gum companies assert their products are safe if used briefly. Jawliner’s spokeswoman recommends customers “train” every other day for no more than 10 minutes to prevent injury. Tomas Palomaki, founder of Stronger Gum, advises keeping chewing sessions under 30 minutes and consulting a doctor if one has TMJ disorders.
Despite these guidelines, some users disregard the warnings. Dr. Dar Radfar, a dentist in Thousand Oaks, California, has noticed more teenagers chewing hard gum for up to an hour daily. When young patients complain of jaw pain, his first question is whether they chew gum or do jaw exercises. “They want to strengthen their jawline,” he said, urging them to reconsider.
Beyond physical risks, these products send a message to young people that their jawlines should resemble those of fully grown men. Dr. Kavita Mariwalla, a dermatologist in West Islip, New York, highlighted that social media pressures young men to look fully developed prematurely. Her 12-year-old son recently asked if he could try jawline-shaping gum, prompting her to remind him that he would naturally develop a strong jawline in time.
Major Points
- Gen Z men are turning to hard chewing gum to achieve a chiseled jawline, influenced by social media.
- Brands like Jawliner and Stronger Gum claim their products can sculpt jawlines in weeks.
- Influencers and online communities promote these products despite the high costs and questionable benefits.
- Dentists warn that prolonged chewing can lead to jaw disorders and other dental issues.
- The American Dental Association cautions against using such products, emphasizing potential health risks.
Fallon Jacobson – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News