By Sean Zucker –
It’s understandable why so many people yearn for a stronger jawline. The trait is associated with strength and beauty, so much so it’s become a fundamental characteristic of Batman. In fact, jaw appeal is even used as a differentiator for which actor makes the best Batman. (It’s Bale, by the way). Unsurprisingly, this obsession with jaw appeal has led to a new craze—facial exercisers. Options like Jawzrsize are popping up all over the Internet lately, claiming to offer up a rock-solid chiseled jawline. But experts warn these products are likely do much more harm than good.
The Jawzrsize bills itself as a natural, healthier and more effective facelift. “Jawzrsize is designed to work out the full range of motion of your bite, giving you a stronger & leaner look…the kind that Botox and face filler can only hope to deliver,” the product’s site reads. “With 20-50 pounds of resistance, this innovative piece of equipment will chisel and sculpt your jawline for your best look ever!”
So, a few minutes a day working with one of these products and you’ll be looking like Bruce Wayne? Not exactly.
Mark Wolff, DDS, PhD, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, recently told Health that the Jawzrsize is a “crazy device.” While noting it might build some excess muscle around the jawline, he insists its unlikely to produce the desired results.
“This is an incredibly dangerous item for the health of your front teeth,” he says. If someone has “any periodontal [gum] disease at all,” it can result in their front teeth bending out. This suggests that regardless of the state of an individual’s teeth before engaging Jawzrsize, using it over a long period of time could misalign teeth to the extent braces are needed. “This is a really bad idea…Don’t use this,” Wolff concluded.
Samantha Rawdin, D.M.D., a prosthodontist specializing in cosmetic dental work and restorative procedures, reinforced Wolff’s stance, adding facial exercisers might actually produce the exact opposite results of what they’re being sold on.
“Jawzrsize claims to be able to work out your jaw muscles and, in turn, slim down your face. Using these devices certainly will work your jaw muscles, but the idea that it will make your face slimmer is totally unfounded,” she told Shape. “These work by stimulating the masseter muscle — the big muscle in the side of your cheek that helps you chew. Although they may help you burn a few calories, they will actually cause hypertrophy, aka increase muscle size, causing it to get bigger than rather than slimming down the face.”
Eat This, Not That! went as far as to include Jawzrsize and similar products on its list of the ten worst things for oral health, noting the potential risks of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, which cause pain in the jaw joint and supporting muscles, dislocation, and even headaches.
Best to pass on the Jawzrsize and similar offerings? Probably. They may just damage your jawline and teeth faster than you can say, “Holy facial reconstruction, Batman!”
