dangerous tiktok beauty trends
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TikTok Beauty Trends Can Pose Serious Harm, Warn Experts

We asked pros to break down what’s safe and what’s not

Katie Beleznay probably isn’t anything like what you’d expect a TikToker to be. For starters, she is a doctor, a well established dermatologist practising in Vancouver, to be exact, as well as a clinical instructor in the department of dermatology at the University of British Columbia and a mother of two. And she happens to boast nearly 90,000 followers on the platform, where she regularly doles out skincare advice and product recommendations. 

“TikTok does a great job of showing people content they might enjoy that they might not otherwise see because the feed isn’t just videos from accounts that you follow,” she says. “It also means almost anyone can ‘go viral’ and have their video viewed by millions of people.”

“Almost anyone can ‘go viral’ and have their video viewed by millions of people.”

That’s a great thing for content creators, including herself, but it doesn’t come without its drawbacks. “The idea that anyone can get their message out means that content that contains advice inconsistent with what professionals would recommend can be seen by millions of people,” she says.

To be fair, some of these hacks present relatively low risks. Think: potential irritation or an allergic reaction, as in the case of things like rubbing jalapeño peppers on your lips in the hopes of plumping them or using cat litter as a face scrub. Others simply don’t work. For instance, taping your face while you sleep to avoid scrunching your muscles cannot replicate the effects of Botox, says Beleznay. Plus, the adhesive could irritate your skin. 

@drkatiebeleznay Once again food on the face is a no for me. Would not recommend this lip plumper #drkatiebeleznay #lipplumper #greenscreenvideo ♬ original sound – Dr. Katie 👩🏻‍⚕️Dermatologist

 

But then there are the trends that aren’t just ill-advised, they’re straight up harmful. Recent examples include using sunscreen to “contour” the face rather than slathering it on all over, scraping off moles at home or even self-administering fillers. “In some cases, these videos contain dangerous misinformation and can become wildly popular,” says Beleznay.

“In some cases, these videos contain dangerous misinformation and can become wildly popular.”

Now of course, this isn’t a problem that’s unique to TikTok, but it does seem to be more prevalent on the platform, says the pro. For instance, in 2021, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery Association issued a warning to parents about young people self-injecting hyaluronic acid after the practice gained popularity on TikTok. In 2020, the British Association of Dermatologists, the British Dental Association and the British Skin Foundation put out similar alerts concerning cosmetic hacks trending on the platform.

Toronto dermatologist Dr. Annie Liu totally gets why skincare advice like this gains so much traction. These sort of tips are usually quick, simple and, most importantly, accessible. “Getting dermatology care is very difficult in Canada; people sometimes wait a year to see a professional,” she says. “That’s the fault of the system; it’s certainly not the public’s fault. But just because something seems easy doesn’t mean it’s always the most helpful for you.”

@dermdoc.annie They just don’t work and can actually harm your skin 👎 🤷🏻‍♀️ #skincaretrends #skincaretrend #dermatologisttip #tiktoktaughtme #expertadvice #dontfallforit #schmidt ♬ original sound – Classic Sitcoms

 

Last summer, Liu, who co-founded Derm Café, an online service that provides rapid virtual access to board-certified dermatologists, felt compelled to make a TikTok cautioning against a growing trend she was seeing on the platform. It consisted of people using nasal sprays containing a hormone called melanotan II in an effort to look more tanned.

“It’s really dangerous because it could increase the risk for the worst skin cancer called melanoma, so I created a video just in an educational way, breaking down the potential harms and actually got a lot of backlash in the comments.” In fact, some of the responses became so aggressive, Liu eventually decided to take down the post. 

“I don’t know that I have a really good solution for this kind of thing because it’s such a pervasive problem,” she says. “And any sort of regulation, I think, would be really hard to enforce.” 

That’s why dentist Dr. Derek Chung, founder of Paste Dental in Toronto, urges people to be extra wary when considering trying out a viral beauty trend. 

“I honestly wouldn’t see it as much more than entertainment,” he says. “A lot of times, it’s more to get a reaction and get that kind of TikTok sensationalization, so that [the poster] gets viewership out of it.”

@paste.dental Try these!!! Trust us they work 🪥🦷 #dentist #dentistaentiktok #dentistryworld ♬ Blue Blood – Heinz Kiessling

 

As a TikTok user and creator himself, he’s witnessed a lot of worrisome dental trends on the platform, such as people brushing their teeth with sawdust or charcoal powder, both of which are much too abrasive, he says, or even using bleach or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to whiten their smile, practices that can seriously damage the gums. Other viral hacks have involved filing one’s teeth at home, which can strip the enamel and cause long-term damage, or using elastics to straighten teeth—what some have dubbed “DIY braces.” “If we’re not safe with orthodontics, it can be really, really tragic,” says Chung. “We would never want to lose a tooth as a result of seeing something on Tik Tok.”

Liu echoes the sentiment. “I just think that there should be more caution and the general public should understand more of what they’re digesting,” she says. “Because when things that are plainly inaccurate spread like wildfire and become trends, they can pose a real threat to safety.”

“When things that are plainly inaccurate spread like wildfire and become trends, they can pose a real threat to safety.”

To help you evaluate the merits of a skincare hack, Beleznay suggests following a few guidelines: “If it’s related to sun/UV/ sunscreen, I would avoid anything that differs from the recommendation to protect your skin using either mineral or chemical UV filters—SPF 30 or higher—and/or utilize other forms of sun protection including hats and UPF clothing,” she says.

As for anything involving applying food or household products to the skin, the derm recommends sticking to well-formulated skincare instead. “And for anything that is normally a medical procedure or something performed in-office, I generally advise caution—and more research—before trying at-home alternatives.”

Bottom line, say the pros: always seek out more information and gauge the credibility of a source before attempting any hack. When in doubt, reach out to a medical professional to make sure something is 100 per cent safe. 

“You have to be really careful when it comes to your teeth and your face or body,” says Chung. “I’m looking at getting a house right now, so I’m getting all these DIYs [on my feed] and then I try them out for myself and a lot of them don’t work. But [beauty hacks] are a lot more personal and can really affect the quality of your life, way more than, say, a hack for hanging up a painting.”

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