What Causes an Asymmetrical Jaw, and How Do You Fix It?

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Experts share medical and natural ways to fix an asymmetrical jaw

Co-authored by Annabelle Reyes

Last Updated: April 3, 2026 Fact Checked

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What is an asymmetrical jaw?

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Causes

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Medical Procedures

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Natural Fixes

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The Bottom Line

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Video

No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical, so it’s completely normal for one side of your jaw to look slightly different from the other. It’s nothing to be worried or embarrassed about, but if you’d like to make your jaw appear more symmetrical, there are a few medical and natural fixes available. In this article, we’ll give you a full breakdown of those options, as well as an overview of what an asymmetrical jaw is and the potential causes of asymmetrical jaws. We’ve also consulted medical, dental, and aesthetic experts for their insights, so keep reading!

Asymmetrical Jaw: An Overview

An asymmetrical jaw is uneven or misaligned, often due to genetics, TMJ disorders, or dental issues. No one has a perfectly symmetrical face, so it’s normal for your jaw to look a little different on each side. However, if your asymmetry is more pronounced, you can usually address it with medical or dental procedures.

Section 1 of 5:

What is an asymmetrical jaw?

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An asymmetrical jaw looks slightly different on each side. No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical, so a certain degree of jaw asymmetry is completely normal. However, some people can have a more pronounced asymmetry of their jaw, leading to a more uneven or misaligned look. This may cause them to seek out medical or natural treatments to create a more symmetrical appearance.^{[1]
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- If you think you have an asymmetrical jaw, don’t worry—it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, and you don’t need to change a thing if you don’t want to!
- “It's very common. I mean, every single person's technically going to have an asymmetrical jaw just because nobody is perfect,” explains aesthetics and looksmaxxing authority Austin Wayne.^{[2]
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- However, if you are unhappy with your jaw asymmetry, there are medical procedures and natural methods out there that can help, depending on the underlying cause of your jaw asymmetry.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Asif Pirani, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of the Toronto Plastic Surgery Center based in Toronto, Canada.

Usha Rajagopal, MD, is a board-certified plastic surgeon and the Medical Director of the San Francisco Plastic Surgery and Laser Center.

Nidhi Pai, DDS, is a board-certified cosmetic dentist. She has over 25 years of experience and previously worked at Stanford School of Medicine’s craniofacial plastic surgery department.

Austin Wayne is an aesthetics and looksmaxxing authority, as well as an ACE-certified personal trainer and professional male model.

Section 2 of 5:

Causes of an Asymmetrical Jaw

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Genetics Some people are simply born with a more asymmetrical-looking jaw due to the bone structure they inherit from their parents. This is incredibly common, as no one’s face is perfectly symmetrical. In fact, perfect facial symmetry would appear slightly strange or uncanny to us, explains board-certified plastic surgeon Asif Pirani, MD.^{[3]
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Asif Pirani, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

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- “They've done psychological studies where they'll take the left side of someone's face and flip it so it's perfectly symmetrical, and when you show it to people, it actually looks abnormal,” Dr. Pirani says.^{[4]
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- “Now, having said that, as you approach symmetry, you do look better, but there's a limit to how much you can get to. If you go too far, then it looks strange,” adds Dr. Pirani.^{[5]
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Trauma Physical injury to the face can affect your jaw alignment, which can lead to a more asymmetrical appearance. For example, if you fracture your jaw as a result of a vehicle or sports accident, it could end up looking slightly more uneven or misaligned when it heals (though this isn’t always the case).^{[6]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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TMJ Disorders TMJ disorders affect the joints on either side of your jaw and the muscles surrounding them, and they’re strongly linked to grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw.^{[7]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source} Left untreated, TMJ can lead to an asymmetrical jaw appearance.^{[8]
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Dental/Orthodontic Issues One common culprit of an asymmetrical jaw is malocclusion, or a misaligned bite. This means your upper and lower teeth don’t fit together correctly when you close your mouth, which can be a result of overcrowded or crooked teeth. Malocclusion is typically hereditary (meaning you inherit it from your parents), but tooth loss or dental trauma are other possible factors.^{[9]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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Developmental abnormalities, aging, & lifestyle factors Some people’s jaws become more asymmetrical due to uneven growth during adolescence.^{[10]
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Research source} Others develop a more asymmetrical jaw appearance as a result of lifestyle factors like smoking, which can cause dental issues that lead to a misaligned bite, or as a natural part of the aging process.^{[11]
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Section 3 of 5:

Medical Treatments for an Asymmetrical Jaw

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Botox Dr. Pirani says the proper treatment for asymmetry will depend on what’s causing it, but a less invasive option like Botox may be an option. “If it’s muscular in nature, sometimes there are some things you can do with Botox, [like] weakening an overactive muscle on one side,” he explains.^{[12]
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Asif Pirani, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

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Dermal fillers According to Dr. Pirani, “You can use small amounts of filler to try and improve symmetry.”^{[13]
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Asif Pirani, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Expert Interview} Board-certified plastic surgeon Usha Rajagopal, MD, agrees that hyaluronic acid fillers are incredibly popular to improve the appearance of the jawline. “It's an office procedure where you do the injection to the chin and jaw,” says Dr. Rajagopal, making this a great choice for those looking for an easy, non-surgical option.^{[14]
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Usha Rajagopal, MD
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Dental work “A lot of people have skeletal malocclusions, and that's the reason why their faces are not symmetrical,” says cosmetic dentist Nidhi Pai, DDS. “We are looking at the jawline from the outside, but a lot of support comes from the teeth inside. Once the inside tooth structure is fixed, their bite is fixed. A lot of definition can come from there.”^{[15]
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Nidhi Pai, DDS
Cosmetic Dentist

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- According to Dr. Pai, if a misaligned bite or another dental condition is the culprit behind your asymmetry, it's essential to address that underlying issue before moving on to other treatments.^{[16]
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- “If you go for a surgery without fixing your teeth [...] you haven't fixed the problem, you're just camouflaging the problem. Things have to be fixed inside out,” Dr. Pai explains.^{[17]
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Jaw surgery Depending on the cause of your jaw asymmetry, surgery may be the best option. “If it's more structural, then usually you're going more towards surgery,” explains Dr. Pirani. “For example, if someone has an asymmetry of their jawbone, then sometimes you need orthognathic or oral maxillofacial surgery, and that can help improve things like that.”^{[18]
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Asif Pirani, MD
Board Certified Plastic Surgeon

Expert Interview} This type of surgery actually changes the structure of your jawbone and brings your upper and lower jaw into proper alignment, so it’s a permanent fix.^{[19]
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Cleveland Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

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- Jaw surgery is an invasive procedure with a longer recovery time, so be sure to discuss this option in detail with your doctor if you’re considering it.
- Initial recovery often takes about 6 weeks, but your jaw will continue to heal over the course of several months. You’ll also need to stick with a soft diet for a period of time.^{[20]
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  Cleveland Clinic
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Section 4 of 5:

Natural Fixes for an Asymmetrical Jaw

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Facial exercises According to Wayne, if your masseter muscles are way more developed on one side, this could make your jaw look more asymmetrical. In this case, Wayne recommends facial exercises targeting your masseter muscles. “You can do some masseter training [...] you can chew on mastic gum, or there's also jaw trainers. If you want to beef up the masseters a little bit, that could make them look more symmetrical.” He also says that practicing mewing may help.^{[21]
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Austin Wayne
Aesthetics and Looksmaxxing Authority

Expert Interview}
- However, Wayne warns not to go overboard. “You have to be careful about overtraining [your masseters] because any time the jaw is wider than the midface or the upper third, it kind of makes the face look overly masculine. You kind of look like a character from a video game, but not in a good way.”^{[22]
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- It’s also important to remember that there isn’t strong scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of these types of facial exercises, especially if your asymmetry is the result of an untreated medical or dental issue.
- According to Dr. Pai, someone who is already pretty symmetrical may see some benefit from facial exercises, “But someone who has skeletal malformations—they can do the mewing all day long, and it's not going to benefit them. It might just cause a lot of muscle soreness.”^{[23]
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Makeup If you wear makeup, you probably know that cosmetics can be very effective for creating a more symmetrical look. To even out an asymmetrical jaw, try applying a contour shade along the outer edge of the larger/wider side. This creates shadows and has a slimming effect, making this side look more similar to the smaller side.^{[24]
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Section 5 of 5:

Asymmetrical Jaws: The Bottom Line

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No one’s face is perfectly symmetrical, and having a slightly asymmetrical jaw is very common. However, if you have a more pronounced asymmetry that you want to address, your first step is to see a medical professional to figure out the underlying cause. Depending on the reason behind the asymmetry, fillers, Botox, dental treatments, or jaw surgery may be your best option. Some people believe facial exercises can help, but there hasn’t been enough scientific evidence to definitely support this.