Is Chewing Gum Giving You Wrinkles?
By Sophia Panych,Allure magazine
Now that I'm aware that sleeping on your side can cause wrinkles, I've been wondering what other daily activities we're engaging in that-unbeknownst to us-are making us look more Shar Pei-like.
One of my favorite blogs, The Beauty Brains, recently reposted a news item with dermatologist Jessica Wu. In addition to addressing the wrinkle-causing effects of sleeping sideways, she discussed how gum chewing and straw-sucking might just be sapping the youth right out of your face.
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Before spitting out my Orbit and pouring my Diet Coke into a wine glass, I wanted to see if other docs reached the same conclusions. According to Wu, gum smacking can lead to bulking up of the muscles around your jaw, contributing to a "jowl-y look" and "can contribute to wrinkles on the upper lip." I asked New Orleans dermatologist Mary Lupo for her opinion: "The lines around your mouth are more likely to result from straw sipping, whistling, and lip pursing than gum chewing," she says. "Enlarging of the masseter [those muscles on the sides of your jaws that help you chew], however, is a real risk of gum chewing and teeth clenching. It results in a very squared jawline." Boston dermatologist Ranella Hirsch recommends moderation: "That would be a LOT of gum chewing, and in that case I'd probably be more worried about what a dentist has to say about all that sugar."
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Bottom line: Unlike smushing your face against a pillow, the aging effects of chewing gum or straw-slurping aren't as dire. So, drink out of a glass more often. And unless you've got a gum habit as bad as Violet Beauregarde, you're probably in the clear.
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