TikTok has given the world some unusual fads, from cooking chicken in NyQuil to stepping on a pyramid of milk crates . Now, a new trend on the social media platform is catching on with young men who want to achieve a chiseled jawline. A handful of companies — including Stronger Gum, Jawz and Rockjaw — have launched chewing gum products called "facial gum," which they are marketing heavily on TikTok.
Companies selling facial gum claim their products will lead to stronger, more defined jaw muscles, improving one's physical appearance. "Stronger jaw muscles are not only beneficial for facial appearance but also essential for health," Stronger Gum says on its website. "Strong jaw muscles promote correct oral posture: mouth closed, teeth aligned, tongue resting against the roof of mouth and stable head position.
Correct oral posture has many important benefits such as breathing through the nose providing up to 20% more oxygen to your body." The gum products sell anywhere from $2 for a pack of 10 gum pieces to $90 for a pack of six pieces. The companies are selling a special type of gum called mastic, a tree resin that is tougher to chew than normal gum.
Because of its texture, it can be chewed for a longer period, anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, which in turn exercises jaw muscles, the companies say. In an email to CBS MoneyWatch, Rockjaw founder Sachin Patel said there's proof mastic gum helps shape jawlines, citing a 2019 study from Tokyo Medical and Dental University.
