Does Sleeping on Your Side Change the Shape of Your Face?

Lately, social media has made many people worry about every small detail of their appearance. Maybe one eyebrow looks higher, one cheekbone sharper, or you feel like you have a “bad side” of your face. Some people online say that sleeping on your side might be the reason.

The idea is that pressing your face into a pillow every night could make it look squished, less sharp, or uneven over time. But is this really true? We asked experts to clear things up.

Why is My Face Uneven?

The truth is, everyone’s face is naturally a little uneven. This is mostly because of genetics. No one is born with a perfectly symmetrical face. Social media and filters make us notice small things we never cared about before. Even seeing your face flipped in a mirror or photo can make it look more uneven than it really is.

Besides genetics, everyday habits can also affect how your face looks. Experts say that chewing on one side of your mouth more than the other can change the muscles in your face over time. This could lead to small differences in the lower part of your face.

As we get older, our faces also lose some volume, especially in the cheeks and around the eyes. This can make any natural unevenness stand out more.

Is Side Sleeping to Blame?

What about how you sleep? There is no strong proof that sleeping on your side changes the shape of your face. Some people refer to an old study from 2016 that suggested side sleeping might cause wrinkles or creases where your face touches the pillow. But even that research was very limited.

Experts say that many other things, like sun exposure, can also make one side of your face look older or different. And there is no real evidence that pressing your face on a pillow will change your bone structure. Even if you slept on the same side for years, you would need to stay perfectly still for a very long time to see any tiny difference.

What Should You Do?

If you are thinking of changing your sleep position to fix your face, it is probably not worth it. Sleeping on your back can help reduce wrinkles or breakouts, but it will not make your face more symmetrical.

The best sleep position is the one that helps you rest well. Losing sleep over a social media trend is not worth it, especially when there is no real science to back it up. The most important thing is to feel comfortable and take care of your skin in other healthy ways.

Original Artice Appeared on SELF