Other alternatives include less invasive procedures such as botox injections, as well as more drastic methods like surgical facelifts.
For those who prefer a stay-home option, Dr Ooi said a curated skin care regimen that includes the use of antioxidants, retinol, moisturiser and sun protection can do wonders in improving skin quality.
Antioxidants, moisturiser and sunscreen can help protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation and pollution. Antioxidants and retinol also help exfoliate the skin and increase collagen production, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
“When thinking about this, total paralysis is not the aim,” he said.
A similar trend, where people tape their mouths shut to sleep has also gained traction for its alleged health and aesthetic benefits.
Online influencers have claimed that sealing their mouths forces them to breathe through their noses instead, resulting in a more chiselled jawline and straighter nose over time.
People have been seen using medical, cosmetic grade tapes, and even the likes of scotch tape to seal their mouths shut before bed.
While experts agreed that breathing through the nose is ideal as the air is filtered and humidified, most said little can be done to change the appearance of the adult nose and jaw without medical procedures.
They also warned that amateur mouth-taping is scientifically unsound and even dangerous.
Dr Dennis Chua, an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist from ENT Surgeons Medical Centre, said: “If someone needs to mouth-breathe during sleep, it is a sign of nasal obstruction.
“Taping the mouth in a patient with a nasal obstruction can potentially result in oxygen levels dropping during sleep, which is a condition known as obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA).”
Beyond causing chronic snoring, OSA can also lead to an increased risk of congestive heart failure, heart attacks and stroke.
ENT surgeon Goh Yau Hong who owns ENT, Head & Neck Surgery agreed: “Mouth-taping in the presence of nasal obstruction is just plainly not plausible.
“Taping of the mouth or wearing a jaw strap is a simplistic and dangerous method of dealing with mouth breathing. These measures are, however, often employed after one undergoes corrective nasal surgeries.”
For alternatives to achieve that chiselled jaw and nose, doctors advised that aligning the teeth with dental devices could work in streamlining one’s jawline.
Botox injections can also be used in slimming down these facial features.
Dr Ooi said that while reducing muscle action can help with wrinkle prevention, people should also preserve their natural beauty which is highlighted through expressed emotions.
He added that natural beauty includes dynamic age appropriate features.
“In a 60-year-old facelift patient, there should still be the ability to develop slight wrinkles with smiling – this is the emotional aspect of beauty.”
