Medium Tears are the firmer, rarer grade of pure Chios mastic gum, and most people move up to them from Small Tears within their first month of chewing. As far as mastic gum medium tears go, they’re not a different product, just a bigger, harder cut of the same resin, which means more resistance for the same 20 minutes of chewing. Here’s how to know if you’re ready, what it costs, how it actually compares to starting small, and how to break it in without overdoing it in the first week.
By Carl J., Owner · Last updated September 21, 2026
When Should You Move from Small to Medium Mastic Tears?
Most beginners choose Small Tears and upgrade within their first month, once daily chewing stops feeling like a workout and starts feeling routine. That’s the real signal, not a calendar date. If a full session barely tires your jaw anymore, you’ve outgrown the resistance the smaller size offers.
A few other signs you’re ready: you’re chewing consistently every day already, you want more masseter engagement per session rather than longer sessions, or you simply prefer starting with a harder chew from day one. Some people skip the smaller size entirely for that reason, there’s no rule that says you have to start soft. If your jaw has any history of soreness, clicking, or fatigue that lingers past a session, easing in gradually is still the safer path regardless of how quickly you feel ready.
How Much Do Medium Tears Cost?
They run $20.99 per tin, about a dollar more than Small Tears at $19.99. How much do medium mastic tears cost compared to what that dollar actually buys you? Mostly rarity and resistance, not fancier packaging. Each tin holds roughly 56 servings, a 4-8 week supply depending on how often you chew, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Part of that slightly higher price comes down to scarcity: this size makes up only 10-15% of each annual Chios harvest, compared to 85-90% for the smaller cut, so there’s simply less of it to go around in a given year.
How Much Firmer Do These Actually Feel?
Are medium mastic tears harder to chew than what a beginner is used to? Yes. They take about 60 to 90 seconds to soften before they’re workable, a bit longer than the smaller size needs. Once softened, they hold firmer resistance throughout the chew instead of breaking down quickly, which is the entire point if you’re training for masseter strength rather than just chewing for breath or digestion.
That extra resistance isn’t something to push into carelessly. If you have any history of jaw pain, clicking, or TMJ issues, easing in with Small Tears first, and keeping sessions shorter, is the safer starting point. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research has good background on temporomandibular disorders if you’re unsure whether a harder chew is a good idea for your jaw specifically.
Breaking In a Harder Chew the Right Way
The first few sessions matter more than people expect. Start with a shorter chew, ten to twelve minutes instead of the full twenty, and let your jaw tell you when it’s had enough rather than pushing through fatigue to hit a specific number. Most people notice real soreness the next morning after their first session with a harder chew, similar to how a new gym routine leaves you sore two days later. That’s normal. Sharp pain during the session itself is not, and that’s the point to stop.
By the second week, most people are chewing full sessions without much lingering soreness. If that’s not happening for you, there’s no downside to stepping back down to Small Tears for a while longer before trying again, there’s no prize for rushing a jaw muscle any more than there is for rushing recovery from a hard workout.
Chios Mastic Medium Tears vs Small Tears: How They Compare
How do medium mastic tears compare to small, side by side? The purity is identical, both are 100% pure Chios mastiha with nothing added. The difference is entirely physical size and the resistance that comes with it.
| Small Tears | Medium Tears | |
| Share of annual harvest | 85-90% | 10-15% |
| Chew resistance | Softer, breaks in fast | Firmer, longer-lasting |
| Softening time | Faster | 60-90 seconds |
| Best for | Beginners, daily maintenance | Experienced chewers, intense training |
| Price per tin | $19.99 | $20.99 |
A Few Mistakes People Make Switching Sizes
The most common one is chewing a full twenty-minute session on day one at full intensity, the same way someone might overdo a new workout and end up too sore to train again for a week. The second is not alternating which side of the jaw does the work, which becomes more noticeable with a firmer chew since the added resistance makes uneven development show up faster. The third is expecting a visible difference within days. Muscle adaptation, jaw or otherwise, takes weeks, and comparing your first week on a harder chew to someone else’s eighth week is a good way to feel discouraged for no real reason.
Storing Medium Tears So They Stay Fresh
Mastic resin is sensitive to heat and moisture, and a harder tear that’s gone slightly stale is noticeably worse to chew than one stored right. Keep the tin somewhere cool and dry, a kitchen cabinet away from the stove works better than a car console or a windowsill in direct sun. Once opened, reseal the tin tightly between sessions rather than leaving it out; humidity is what softens tears prematurely and shortens how long a batch stays at its best.
Stored properly, a tin holds its quality for the full 4-8 weeks it typically takes to work through a batch at a normal daily pace. If a piece feels unusually soft or crumbly straight out of the tin, that’s usually a storage issue rather than a product issue, worth checking where the tin’s been sitting before assuming anything’s wrong with it.
Which Mastic Tear Size Is Best for Daily Chewing?
For genuinely daily use, both sizes work, but they suit slightly different routines. Medium mastiha tears for regular chewers who’ve built up some tolerance tend to make more sense, since the firmer resistance keeps sessions productive without needing to chew longer to get the same masseter engagement. Alternating sides also matters more here, since the added resistance makes uneven development more noticeable over time.
If your daily routine is still new, the softer size is the steadier daily choice while your jaw adjusts to chewing something this firm at all.
Are Medium Tears Right for Me?
Are medium mastic tears right for me is the question worth answering honestly before you spend the extra dollar. A quick way to check: if you’ve been chewing Small Tears daily for a few weeks without much jaw fatigue, if you specifically want a harder starting chew, or if you’re training for jawline definition rather than general oral wellness, this size is probably right for you. If you’re brand new to mastic gum, chew occasionally rather than daily, or have any jaw sensitivity, starting soft is still the better call. Our complete guide to mastic gum tears for beginners covers the basics if you’re not sure where you land.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. When should I move up from small to medium tears?
Most people make the switch within their first month of daily chewing, once the smaller size stops feeling like enough resistance to work the jaw. There’s no fixed timeline, it’s based on how your jaw actually responds, not the calendar.
2. How many medium tears do you chew at a time?
Just 1 to 2 pieces per session, fewer than most people use with the smaller size, since these are physically larger and provide more resistance per piece.
3. Are medium tears harder to chew than small tears?
Yes, noticeably, from the first few chews rather than only over a full session. The firmness holds up through the entire chew instead of softening quickly the way Small Tears do.
4. Which tear size lasts longest while chewing?
The larger size lasts longer per session because its density slows how quickly it breaks down, even though you’re using fewer pieces than a typical Small Tears session.
5. Where can I buy authentic medium mastic tears?
Directly from Titans Jaw’s product page. You’ll also find Titans Jaw listed on Amazon and Etsy, but the 30-day money-back guarantee and freshest stock are only guaranteed through the official site.
Ready to Step Up Your Chew?
If you’re ready for more resistance, shop Medium Tears directly from Titans Jaw. Still easing in? Small Tears is the better starting point, and you can always upgrade once daily chewing stops feeling like a challenge.
