TikTok users have embraced a new trend that has worried some skin experts — participating in full-face “hot wax” treatments, BBC News reports.
What happened
New viral videos on TikTok show soften “resin covering subjects’ face, mouth and neck — and partially penetrating their ears and nose,” according to BBC News. The masks are then removed.
- Per The Scotsman, the hot wax is poured on someone’s face. It covers one’s mouth and neck. Sometimes it fills your ears and nostrils. The wax is left on one’s face before it is removed. The claim is that it “removes unsightly hairs and leaves the skin refreshed,” according to The Scotsman.
Reactions
- The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) has issued a warning against it to BBC News: “Attempting to wax inside your nose or ears is not recommended.”
- Alex Echeverri, who works at John and Ginger salon, in England, told BBC News the masks can cause suffocation. The wax hardens and therefore could harden in the airways, requiring surgical removal.
- Dermatologist Dr. Emma Wedgeworth, a British Skin Foundation spokesperson, told BBC News: “It seems sensible to have a warning. There is a lot of misinformation and potentially harmful DIY beauty practices on TikTok and other social media channels.”
More worries
Wedgeworth told Yahoo! Style that the trend is a “senseless practice” because it can cause a lot of harm. The skin is delicate inside the nose and blood vessels are close to the surface. Adding too much damage there could really hurt your skin, she said.
- “The bottom line is that this is a senseless practice, which has more potential for harm than good and I would not advise it.”