Men On TikTok Are Sleeping With Mouth Tape To Improve Their Jawlines

In a video with 2.3 million views, TikToker Gabriel Dridi shared a tip for men about using mouth tape to “improve” their jawlines.

In the video series called “How to boost your looks (Men),” Dridi claims that using mouth tape can alter the shape of one’s jawline and nose.

Mouth taping involves the use of porous surgical tape to keep your mouth closed at night, forcing you to breathe through your nose. Its purported benefits include deeper sleep, an end to dry mouth and less snoring. Meanwhile, people on TikTok are claiming that mouth taping will also give you a sharper jawline.

Dridi’s not the only person trying the hack for aesthetic purposes. TikToker Ollie Martin, 30, from Staffordshire, England, insisted mouth taping is safe and highlighted the potential long-term effects of mouth breathing.

“When I discovered mouth taping, I approached it cautiously, fearing it might be dangerous,” Martin told HuffPost. “My jawline became more defined and my maxilla muscle became more visible, giving me a shaper and well-defined appearance.”

Martin said he started noticing physical changes in his facial structure after three months.

Sleep experts say, however, that more research is needed to understand the benefits and risks associated with mouth taping — and that while mouth breathing can change the shape of your face, wearing mouth tape probably won’t.

Dr. Samuel Lin, a board-certified plastic surgeon and associate professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, told HuffPost, “It is unlikely a short course of mouth taping will change the bone structure of a person’s jawline.”

“The facial bones develop through the teenage years and into [young] adulthood and are only changed through procedures that involve shaping the jaw; moving the jaw forward or backward by craniofacial surgeons, a chin implant, or meticulous management of individual teeth through specialists (oral surgeons, dentists),” Lin said.

Effects of mouth breathing

Dr. Nilong Vyas, a board-certified sleep expert at the sleep consulting service and private practice Sleepless in NOLA and a medical review expert at the Sleep Foundation, a nonprofit that provides sleep-related expert information, also said that wearing mouth tape won’t change the shape of your face.

However, she noted that mouth breathing itself can change your face shape.

“Chronic mouth breathers, over time, can impact their facial structure, but wearing mouth tape for a few days overnight will not show any improvements to bone structure,” Vyas said.

According to a 2022 study from researchers at Wuhan University, mouth breathing is usually caused by an obstruction in the upper airway —whether that’s mucous or enlarged tonsils and lymphatic tissues. Nasal inflammation, which may be caused by allergens or sinus infections, can block nasal airways.

Breathing through the nose actually creates a balanced growth of facial structures, according to the 2022 study. People who breathe through their nose keep their lips closed, creating a sealed oral space, where the tongue and palate are positioned correctly in the mouth. Conversely, leaving your mouth open decreases tongue pressure and creates a downward position for facial muscles, changes in the lips, including a protruded upper lip, tongue and jawbone, the study says.

Breathing through the mouth can also increase the risk of cavities and periodontal disease or gum infection, according to the study. The risk of an open bite also increases, which can change the shape of the jaw.

“The nose is responsible for warming, humidifying and eliminating bacteria and viruses from the air before it enters the lungs,” Vyas said. “The mouth doesn’t have as much of that capability, so mouth breathing isn’t the best way to breathe.”

Benefits of mouth taping

Most studies on mouth taping state that further research is needed to determine its effectiveness. However, according to the Sleep Foundation, mouth taping may have a few potential benefits, including treating dry mouth, cavities, gum disease and bad breath. Theoretically, it might help with snoring by forcing you to breathe through your nose.

In a study of people with sleep apnea, or pauses in breathing while sleeping, wearing mouth tape changed structures in the mouth, including the palate and tongue, which allowed for less snoring.

However, using mouth tape with sleep conditions like sleep apnea can be dangerous.

“The real danger with mouth taping is people using it who have undiagnosed obstructive sleep apnea,” Vanessa Hill, a sleep researcher at BrainCraft, an educational YouTube series and PBS show, told HuffPost. “It’s estimated that one in seven people have sleep apnea, and the majority are undiagnosed.”

Sleep apnea can be dangerous, pinching off the airway and preventing breathing while sleeping. The sleep condition is associated with Type 2 diabetes, strokes and heart attacks.

“If you suspect that you or your partner may have sleep apnea, please speak with a doctor,” Hill said. “Mouth adhesives may be used in treatments by dentists and doctors, but these are always with a consultation. Please don’t take medical advice from TikTok!”

Risks of mouth taping

Mouth taping is not considered a commonly accepted practice, and there are no official guidelines on how to use mouth tape safely, the Sleep Foundation notes. Instead, side sleeping, using nasal strips, testing for allergies and asthma, and practicing good oral and sleep hygiene might help with mouth breathing.

Hill warned that people who are curious about mouth taping shouldn’t use any product that has not been adequately tested for this purpose.

It can be dangerous or harmful to use tape that isn’t intended for use over the mouth (such as duct tape or masking tape), especially tape with strong adhesives.

An additional side effect of using mouth tape is disrupted sleep, especially for people who are accustomed to breathing through their mouths while sleeping.

More than 50 million people in the US have chronic sleep disorders, including sleep apnea. Many turn to relaxation techniques, melatonin and supplements to help with poor sleep, but it’s important to consult your doctor if sleep problems occur more than three nights a week for at least three months.

If you are experiencing significant distress in daily functioning, a physician can rule out sleep disorders or provide you with the proper medication for more restful sleep. At-home remedies like mouth taping shouldn’t be used as a replacement for treatment.

Are there alternative ways to improve your jawline?

If you’re determined to have a chiseled jawline, facial exercises are another nonsurgical option, similar to “mewing,” a term used to describe the action of keeping your tongue on the roof of the mouth. However, the results won’t last very long, according to Dr Anthony Youn, a board-certified plastic surgeon.

“Mewing will not change the shape of your jawline permanently. However, it can temporarily make your neck look lifted,” Youn said. “Just lift your tongue to the roof of your mouth and take a photo from the side (profile view). You’ll see your neck may look lifted. However, it drops back down once your tongue drops.”

“The more times that one does exercises, the facial muscles will likely strengthen, but it would take dedicated time per day or per week,” Lin said. “However, there is no scientific data to show this or any of what is being proposed on TikTok, and it is unlikely that the scientific data would show that this is true.”

Nonsurgical procedures often include filler to change the appearance of the jaw. “Filler placement defines the angles of the jawline or injectables/minimally invasive procedures to decrease fat in the area below the chin area,” Lin said.

Bottom line: Before trying any new hacks or at-home remedies, it’s important to do research and talk to your doctor.

“It’s so important to research claims like these that are just too good to be true. At best, they can be a harmless waste of your time,” Youn said. “At worst, you can spend money unnecessarily or submit yourself to a potential health issue.”