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slang.fyi

bonesmashing

/boʊnzmæʃɪŋ/

Uncommon

Repeatedly hitting facial bones to stimulate bone remodeling and change facial structure.

Often discussed in looksmaxxing communities as a way to sharpen facial features. Medical consensus says it is harmful and ineffective. The term is sometimes used sarcastically.

Real-world examples3 examples
#ExampleWhat it meansSource
01saw a guy on reddit claiming bonesmashing gave him a better jaw. bro is going to hurt himselfThe commenter is skeptical and concerned about the safety of the technique.reddit, 2023
02the looksmaxxing pipeline really goes: mewing, then jawline exercises, then bonesmashingDescribing how people in these communities escalate from mild to extreme techniques.x, 2024
03please do not bonesmash. you will break your nose and it will not grow back betterA direct warning that the technique is dangerous and does not work as claimed.tiktok, 2024

Use it when

  • Discussing extreme appearance modification techniques in online communities.
  • Warning someone about dangerous looksmaxxing advice.
  • Referencing the more extreme end of facial optimization culture.

Do not use it when

  • You mean any general facial massage or exercise.Use “face-pulling” instead.
  • You mean mewing or other non-harmful jaw techniques.Use “mewing” instead.

Bonesmashing vs mewing

bonesmashing

Bonesmashing involves physically striking the face to cause bone remodeling. It is considered dangerous.

VS

mewing

Mewing is a tongue posture technique that claims to reshape the face gradually over time.

Origin and context

Originated in online looksmaxxing and incel-adjacent forums based on a misapplication of Wolff's Law, the medical principle that bone density adapts to mechanical stress. Gained wider internet visibility as looksmaxxing content spread on TikTok around 2022 to 2024.

First seen
2010s
Confidence
medium

Cite this page

Use this stable URL to reference the entry.

https://slang.fyi/bonesmashing
Updated: 2026-08-28License: CC BY 4.0

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