The Role Of Chewing Gum In Causing Wrinkles To Appear

Can constant chewing of gum really cause facial wrinkles to appear? Does chewing gum regularly have any side effect? These are the questions on the minds of lot of persons, particularly women who are obsessed with chewing gum. Some persons may not be a fan of gum chewing, but they simply chew it to keep and maintain fresh breath.

Researchers have claimed chewing gum on a regular basis can lead to muscular changes around the corners of your mouth, including skin-related changes. In this article, we examined the possible side effects of chewing gum and how it can cause wrinkles to appear on your face. Interestingly, chewing gum also has some benefits. Read on to find out.

What are the possible side effects of chewing gum?

Experts claim chewing gum constantly exposes the skin around your face to early signs of aging including wrinkles and fine lines. Imogen Bexfield, the Medical Director of White Swan Aesthetics, said normal facial expressions such as smiling, frowning, or squinting over time, cause fine lines to become visible on your face, adding that chewing gum can sum it all by making the somewhat fine lines deeper and more pronounced. Chewing gum can cause fine lines and wrinkles to appear on and around the upper lip. Dr. Bexfield noted that chewing gum can only cause facial wrinkles if it is chewed excessively.

Experts have suggested that chewing gum has the tendency to change or alter the shape of your face. This is because the act of chewing widens the masseter, which is the muscles on both sides of your jaw that controls chewing.

According to specialists, extreme chewing can lead to a jaw issue called temporomandibular disorder, TMD, which can lead to extreme jaw pain and difficulty to chew, and even sleep at night. People with headaches and migraines tends to experience extreme pains when they chew gum.

Though chewing gum can cause the appearance of wrinkles, but it also has some benefits. Chewing gum causes an increase in the amount of blood flowing to the brain. An increase blood flow to the brain improves cognitive capacity and alertness. A 2002 study showed that participants who chewed gum during a test experienced a short-term memory improvement of 24 percent, and a long-term memory improvement of 36 percent.

Another study also proves that chewing gum can help ease the level of stress.

No doubt chewing gum helps to neutralize the effects of acids and sugar responsible for mouth odor by stimulating saliva production. However, chewing for extended period can lead to chips and micro cracks in your teeth. Also, your front teeth gets shorter over time when you chew regularly. You tend to look older when you have shorter front teeth.

Is chewing gum a good facial exercise?

The loss of muscle tone on the face is mainly responsible for wrinkles formation and sagging facial skin. There are different kinds of facial exercises you can do to improve your facial muscle and eliminate wrinkles. Experts have claimed one of such exercise is to simply chew gum.

When you chew gum, you use four muscles namely:

• masseter
• temporalis
• lateral pterygoid
• medial pterygoid

These muscles frame your cheek and lower jaw. Sagging and loss of muscle tone mostly begin in these muscles as a person advances in age. When you chew gum, it actually helps tone these muscles, making it a perfect facial exercise.

Engaging in other facial exercises like opening your mouth wide, keeping your eyebrows in a raised position, jutting your lower jaw, can draw attention to yourself, especially when you do them in public. However, the simple act of chewing gum can tone your facial muscles without necessarily attracting attention.

Chewing gum regularly can widen your face, giving you a well-defined jawline. However, for people who yearn for hollow and raised cheeks, chewing gum may not be your best option.

Does chewing tobacco cause wrinkles?

Chewing tobacco can cause the appearance of wrinkles and a condition called smokeless tobacco keratosis, according to studies.

Smokeless tobacco keratosis, also called snuff dipper’s lesion or tobacco pouch keratosis, is a disorder that causes the formation of thick white blotches on skin in your mouth. This condition causes the skin to be wrinkled or leather-like. The white patches in your mouth typically forms in spots where you hold smokeless tobacco in your mouth.

Examples of parts where smokeless tobacco keratosis may develop include:

• gums
• inner cheek
• between teeth

Apart from chewing tobacco, other factors responsible for smokeless tobacco keratosis includes snuffing and dipping tobacco.

Most people with this disorder are unaware they have it because it isn’t associated with any symptoms. The condition is mostly discovered during a routine checkup by a dentist. Consult your dentist for proper dental examination if you use excessive smokeless tobacco. If left untreated, it can lead to oral cancer.

Conclusion

Chewing gum may have little or no side effects if you chew in moderation. Restrict your gum chewing to at least 2-3 sticks in a week. Habitual gum chewing can cause your teeth to chip. Also, avoid chewing gum for too long, you can chew for at least 15-20 minutes per time before spitting out the gum. Some persons are fond of swallowing gum after chewing. This is not advisable.