A gentle way to soften jaw tension and redefine your jawline: the paper towel tongue release
When most people think about face care, they think about products, tools, or facial massage.
Very few people think about their tongue.
And yet your tongue’s posture, mobility, and activation all influence the appearance of your jawline.
The fascial connection: your tongue is not isolated
Fascially, your tongue connects through your jaw, throat, and neck into your diaphragms, core, pelvic floor, and all the way down into your feet.
The tongue sits at the top of a deep front fascial line. When it’s tense, restricted, or bracing, that tension doesn’t stay local. It can influence:
Jaw tension and clenching
Neck compression
Forward head posture
Restricted breathing
Congestion through the front of the neck
When it comes to aging radiantly your tongue matters. It influences lymphatic flow, facial structure, jawline definition, nervous system regulation and more.
Why this towel technique is different
There are a lot of tongue exercises online.
Some are strengthening-based.
Some are posture-based.
Some require a lot of effort and precision.
But for many people with jaw tension, TMJD, clenching habits, or tongue restriction, active exercises can create more stress instead of relief.
The paper towel tongue release is different.
It allows you to be almost entirely passive.
Instead of actively lifting or holding your tongue in position, you lightly hold it with a paper towel and slowly guide it outward while your jaw remains relaxed.
You move slowly and breathe into the release.
The slowness signals safety to your nervous system.
And safety is what allows tissue to soften.
What is happening at the base of the tongue
Under your tongue is a web of fascia, muscles, and connective tissue that link directly into the floor of your mouth, the hyoid region, and the front of your neck.
When that area is guarded or shortened, you may notice:
A tight or painful jaw region
A shortened neck
A feeling of fullness under the chin
Shallow breathing
When you gently guide the tongue and explore small movements in all directions, you create a comfortable stretch at the base of the tongue.
That stretch does not need to be intense.
In fact, intensity often causes more guarding.
What you’re looking for is subtle release. A sense of widening. Softening.
Over time, this can:
Create space through the jaw and throat
Allow the neck to lengthen
Support better fluid movement through the front of the neck and jaw
Contribute to a more defined, stable jawline
This is full-body face care.
How to do the paper towel tongue release
You can watch the full demonstration here.
Hold your tongue gently with a paper towel.
Slowly pull it outward.
Explore small movements in all directions.
Feel a comfortable, light stretch at the base of your tongue.
Keep your jaw relaxed and breathe slowly.
If you feel strain, reduce the range.
Less is more.
How often should you do it?
This is not a strengthening protocol.
It’s not something you need to do daily.
How often depends on your body, but for most people once a week is likely plenty.
You can also return to it intuitively:
After a stressful day
After clenching
Before bed
When your jaw feels tight
Consistency matters more than frequency.
Why this matters for facial aging
Healthy facial aging depends on:
Postural integrity
Fluid movement
Tissue mobility
Nervous system regulation
When the tongue is constantly bracing or disconnected, surrounding structures compensate.
When the tongue softens and regains mobility, the jaw no longer needs to overwork.
The neck can lengthen.
Breath can deepen.
Fluid can move more freely through the front of the neck and jaw.
Subtle shifts like this accumulate.
It’s subtle — but significant.
I hope this helps! If you’re interested in going deeper, explore my offerings here.