Unless you’re one of the world’s select few with such chiseled bone structure your jawline could cut glass, you may be wondering what you could do to bring some definition to the outline of your face. While your genetics lay the foundation for the structure of your jawline, there are steps you can take to strengthen the edges of what you naturally have.
Trim Body Fat
The lack of a strong jawline is not always related to excess body fat, but if your body fat composition is high, lowering it may leave you with a more defined jawline. If a high body fat composition is to blame for your soft jawline, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet is the best way to bring some definition back to your face. According to Cleveland Clinic Health and Fitness expert Chris Dempers, exercises targeting the jaw and neck can support the toning of those regions, but what is most important is lowering your overall body fat composition, which is best achieved with full-body exercises and diet changes.[1]
Try Jaw Exercises
If excess body fat isn’t the issue, jaw exercises could be worth a try. According to Dr. Scott Michael Schreiber, many people’s frontal neck muscles are underdeveloped, causing the region of their neck along their jawline to droop.[2] Exercises like neck curl-ups and collar bone back-ups can sharpen the jawline by strengthening and toning your neck muscles. Additionally, they can help resolve neck and jaw pain caused by the weakened musculature. These exercises must be performed with careful attention to form to avoid injury.
Chew Gum
If you’ve ever chewed gum for an extended period of time, you’ll likely remember the soreness that plagued your jaw for a day or so afterwards. That soreness was a direct result of the strain prolonged chewing placed on your masseter muscles – the muscles at the base of your lower jaw, nearest your ear. Studies indicate that chewing hard gum for even ten minutes a day for a month can significantly increase masseter strength, making gum chewing a great tool for defining your jawline.[3]
Stimulate Collagen Production
If your lack of jaw definition stems from a looseness of the skin around your jawline, a beard roller could be a great option for you. Designed to navigate the contours of your jaw safely and comfortably, these microneedling tools work by puncturing the skin at a superficial level, stimulating healing processes that lead to the generation of new dermal tissue and a significant increase in collagen production.[4] The effect being a tightening of the skin, reducing wrinkling and sagging, helping to define your jaw. Want to give it a go? Our favorite product for this is Supply’s Activating Beard Roller.
Give Yourself a Jaw Massage
Giving yourself a massage along your jaw can aid in clearing out stagnant lymph that can leave your jawline looking soft and rounded. Along the base of your jaw exists a line of lymph nodes that filter lymphatic fluid from the body and release the cleaned lymph back into your bloodstream. These nodes can become swollen when fighting off illness or when taking certain medications.[5] Massaging your jawline when your lymphatic system is congested can help clear excess fluid from the region and bring greater definition to your face. It’s as simple as making a “V” shape with two fingers and drawing them back from chin to ear with the edge of your jawline in between.
Try Facial Rolling or Gua Sha
Does your face ever look puffier than usual when you wake up in the morning? That’s because lying horizontally can cause fluid to pool in the head and neck. While fluid retention typically diminishes once you’re up and moving, this process may take longer for some people than others, and those with less rigorous circulatory systems may find themselves swollen for hours. If you need to look your best early in the day, try using a facial roller or gua sha tool to manually promote the drainage of excess fluid from the region. Want to up the effects? An ice roller doubles down on the depuffing by reducing inflammation through its constriction of blood vessels, according to dermatologist Rachel Nazarian, MD.[6]
Grow a Beard
How you shape your facial hair can significantly impact the appearance of your jawline. To transform a soft, weak jawline into one that is strong and commanding, you can manipulate your beard to gain control over its definition. For maximum chisel, try trimming your beard to just about an inch and half above your Adam’s apple and following that line underneath your jawline back to both ears. The hair on your cheeks should rise no higher than the edge of your cheekbones. Maintaining sharp edges on this shape and a neat, short length is the key to making your facial hair mimic a jawline of steel. To get the best shave for those hard lines, we recommend Supply’sSingle Edge Prorazor, and to keep unruly hairs in line, there is nothing better than our.
Looking for some help on how to grow a thick, full beard? We’ve got you covered. Check out our article on How to Fix a Patchy Beard.
Give Mewing a Go
Mewing is the practice of holding your relaxed tongue against the roof of your mouth. Though some claim this tongue-posture exercise can permanently redefine your jawline, there really isn’t much proof that it leads to long term effects.[7] It can, however, create the temporary illusion of a chiseled jaw when enacted by lifting and tightening the muscles beneath the chin. The next time you’re posing for a picture, give mewing a try and see if you notice a difference.
Clench Your Jaw
Just like flexing any other muscles in your body makes them more prominent and defined, flexing your masseter muscles at the base of your jaw near your ears causes them to protrude, making your jawline look wider and sharper. To do so, simply clench your teeth. The effect is only temporary, but it’s a quick and easy way to achieve the appearance of a taut jawline at any given moment.
Change the Tilt of Your Head
Similar to mewing or clenching your jaw, being intentional about the tilt of your head can provide you with the short-term appearance of a more chiseled jawline. This method is all about the angles. You’ll want to elongate your neck while tilting your chin slightly downwards and angling your head just slightly away from the person or camera in front of you. Want to maximize the impact? Try mewing, clenching your jaw, and controlling the angle of your head all at once.
Contour Your Jawline
Contouring your jawline is a fast and easy way to temporarily bring definition to your jaw. Using a product that is a few shades darker than your skin tone, trace a narrow line just along the edge of your jaw from ear to ear and blend the product downward onto your neck and the skin beneath your chin. By adding a product that is darker than your natural skin tone to this region, you’re producing a shadowed effect that contrasts with the tone of your skin – creating the illusion of a much more chiseled jawline. For a seamless, undetectable look with a matte finish, try using ourConcealer Tool. Want a little extra glow? TheBronzing Gelis a great option too.
Cut Your Hair
Changing the cut of your hair is an easy way to emphasize certain features on your face and draw attention away from others. Create the illusion of a longer, more trim face by opting for an undercut or a high fade. By clipping the sides short and keeping some length up top, the angles of your face will stand out, appearing sharper and more defined.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is a key factor in ensuring your jawline looks its best for a number of reasons. While it may not seem completely intuitive, dehydration can cause and worsen bloating, so drinking plenty of water throughout the day is important to ensure bloat doesn’t soften the region around your jaw.[8] Proper hydration is also necessary for your lymphatic system to function correctly. As we shared above, stagnant lymph can contribute to a rounding of the jawline, so drink plenty of water to keep your lymph moving.
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
Excess salt consumption causes your body to hold onto more water as it adjusts to maintain the right balance between sodium, potassium, and water in your body.[9] While proper hydration is an important part of maintaining a chiseled jawline, the retention of excess water can leave you looking swollen and bloated. To ensure that your jawline isn’t softened by excess water retention, keep an eye on your daily sodium intake and avoid consuming more than necessary.
Smile
Finally, as simple as it may sound, smiling is a great way to temporary define your jawline. When you smile, your cheekbones extend and the muscles of your face and neck are engaged, giving your face a lift and enhancing the appearance of your jawline.
The steps above outline seven ways to help you take your jaw from round and soft to sculpted and sharp because we care about your confidence. We know looking your best matters for feeling your best, so we hope these tips help you feel strong and bold in your skin.
[2] https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/jawline-exercises#how-they-help
[4] https://academic.oup.com/asj/article/42/10/1154/6565988
[5] https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325947#seeing-a-doctor
[6] https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/beauty-style/ice-roller-for-face
[7] https://www.joms.org/article/S0278-2391%2819%2930349-0/fulltext
