From using a nail file on your teeth to DIY lip fillers – the dangerous TikTok beauty hacks you should NEVER try
IT’S practically impossible to scroll down your TikTok ‘For You’ page without coming across users trying out the latest beauty hack.
But while most of these are a bit of harmless fun, some are at best useless – and at worst, downright dangerous to your health.
Users across the site are sharing videos of themselves taking part in in beauty challenges.
In one video uncovered by Fabulous a man uses a nail file to to straighten his teeth and get rid of his ‘vampire fangs’.
Another woman injects herself with needless lip filler using a Hyaluron pen with pressurised air, despite her mouth bleeding.
Other women tried ‘sun contouring’ – avoiding using suncream to get bronzed faces – of course, they risked burning.
Hayley Walker is resident beauty expert at JustMyLook, a website where you can quickly and easily pick up everything from make-up and skincare to fragrances and nails said she was horrified by the trends.
Her views were backed up by Dr Ross Perry, Medical Director at Cosmedics Skin Clinics across London, who warned of the potentially catastrophic health effects that could result from following the fads.
SUNSCREEN COUNTOURING
One of the most popular yet damaging trends currency doing the rounds on TikTok is sunscreen contouring: where you only apply SPF to certain areas of your face, to try and tan where you’d normally apply bronzer.
Talking about it, one TikTok user said: “Haters will say it doesn’t work but I’m convinced if you put SPF 30 on [some parts] and then SPF 90 on all the spots where you would put highlighter on the sun will contour your face.”
She was criticised with one person saying: “Lol when you contour with wrinkles and age spots. Sun damage is not pretty.”
“While the desire to achieve that contoured-look naturally is tempting, this TikTok beauty trend comes with safety concerns for your skin and health,” Hayley said.
The skin whizz asserts that “applying SPF to your face is essential and should be a conscious part of your skincare routine.
“More importantly, it needs to be applied correctly in order for your skin to receive its full benefits,” she added.
“Applying only to certain parts of your face purely for aesthetic is dangerous and can lead to injuries including sunburn, which can damage your skin and increase your risk of skin cancer.”
Dr Ross agreed entirely, writing that the trend is “beyond dangerous and should not be encouraged.”
“No tan is a safe tan,” he said. “Unfortunately the facts are that everyone is at risk of skin cancer and this risk increases with age.
“A tan is a response to DNA damage, whether you get it on the beach, on a sunbed, or through incidental exposure.
“Tans are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage. Such damage is instrumental in the development of skin cancer.”
Haters will say it doesn’t work but I’m convinced if you put SPF 30 on and then SPF 90 on all the spots where you would put highlighter on the sun will contour your face.
TikTok user
When applied properly, suncream has been shown to reduce the risk of developing melanoma – an aggressive form of skin cancer – by more than 50%.
Anyone can get skin cancer and melanoma is the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
There are more than 16,000 cases a year and approximately 2,300 deaths.
Cancer Research UK added: “Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun.
“This may be long term exposure, or short periods of intense sun exposure and burning. The ultraviolet light in sunlight damages the DNA in the skin cells. This damage can happen years before a cancer develops.”
Hayley points out that which a wide variety of bronzers on the market, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to achieving a snatched look without risking your skin’s health.
Her top pick is the Make-up Revolution Fast Base Contour Stick (£5.95), which has a bronzer on one end and highlighter on the other.
The stick “glides effortlessly on and blends seamlessly, effectively lifting, defining, and sculpting your complexion…
“The contour is also cruelty-free and vegan friendly,” she said.
TEETH FILING
Cosmetic dentists have long offered teeth filing to help reshape a wonky smile and create a straighter bite.
But given it can cost up to £100 to have one tooth treated, some TikTokers have worryingly started to try and carry out the procedure themselves – using nail files you can buy for 50p.
Youngsters use nail files to even out the ridges on their teeth, sharing the results on their accounts.
One person who did it even admitted he felt “uncomfortable” as he evened out his canine teeth.
“I just found out I have a shoot on Monday and I have these stupid vampire fangs on my teeth, I have no clue where to start”, he said in a video which garnered 15.4m views.
And other people were concerned too with one man writing “Bro, you really shouldn’t be doing that.”
Another said: “Bro guys everyone has ‘vampire teeth’ there [sic] called canines.”
I just found out I have a shoot on Monday and I have these stupid vampire fangs on my teeth.
TikTok user Kyle
Their views were echoed by dentists.
Dr. Zainab Mackie said: “When you file your nails they grow back, when you file your teeth they don’t grow back and that’s a problem… especially if you take too much off.”
And Dr Ross agreed. He said: “This is one of the worst TikTok trends and should absolutely not be attempted to do at home.
“This is completely unsafe and can cause long-term damage to your own teeth in terms of shape and taking off the enamel.
“If you take off the enamel which helps to protect the dentine and nerve of the tooth and protects against decay, you can end up with sensitivity, irritation and nerve inflammation.
“This could result in a very expensive trip to the dentist for reconstruction and long term damage to your own teeth.”
SELF-ADMINISTERED LIP FILLER
Lip filler can be a great way to enhance the natural shape and fullness of your lips, but it of course should always be administered by a certified aethestician.
But in an attempt to circumvent the costs, some TikTokers have taken to buying the filler online and injecting it into their own lips.
One use who did it said there was “blood all over” after she did it.
She was warned against it, with a concerned viewer commenting: “It’s all going to migrate under your nose.”
Another said: “With bare hands. That’s so smart, idk [I don’t know] why the professionals don’t do that.”
Unsurprisingly, Dr Ross says this is an absolute no-no, telling people to “never attempt to inject your own lips with filler, or allow anyone to inject you that isn’t medically qualified”.
It’s all going to migrate under your nose.
TikTok user
“It is extremely dangerous if you don’t have an understanding of the anatomy of the facial muscles, nerves and blood vessels.
“The risks involved are endless.
“Lesser-known risks are lumpy uneven lips, through to the most severe being facial paralysis, blindness which can be causes if you inject into an artery that is connected to deep vessels leading to the back of the eye and tissue necrosis.
“This is self-mutilation at it’s worse and the corrective work that would need to be done in even lesser cases could cost you thousands of pounds in the long run.”
DIY COFFEE SCRUBS
Penny-pinching TikTokers have suggested that instead of splashing out on an exfoliator, you can craft your own using coffee granules to get the necessary gritty effect.
But without specialist input, the mixture can easily “be too aggressive on your skin,” Hayley advises.
“It might not help you achieve a smooth, clear complexion, and may actually cause your skin to become irritated and even damaged.”
There really is no benefit to using this whatsoever, and as there are a number of products containing coffee on the shelves, you’re better off buying something which has been dermatologically tested and proven.
Hayley Walker
While this is nowhere near as dangerous as injecting lip filler or filing down your own teeth, according to Dr Ross, the issue is that coffee grounds “aren’t smooth and therefore they can cause the skin to tear as you rub the coffee over the skin which can lead to infections, scarring and bleeding.”
“There really is no benefit to using this whatsoever, and as there are a number of products containing coffee on the shelves, you’re better off buying something which has been dermatologically tested and proven.”
Instead, the cosmetics guru suggests that a scrub like the Kaeso Rebalancing Exfoliator (£9.10) can “buff away impurities and dead skin cells’ ‘ without being too abrasive and risking damaging the skin.
These products will “help boost the circulation on your face, leaving you looking fresh-faced and radiant” – but without the dreaded redness that can come from scratchy coffee granules.
SLUGGING
Slugging – essentially covering your face in a layer of a jelly-like substance like vaseline – is currently TikTok’s most pervasive trend.
It’s meant to improve the hydration of your skin by infusing it with lots of liquid, while the jelly forms a barrier that supposedly keeps spot-breeding dirt and bacteria out.
It’s called slugging “because of the sheen like greasy appearance it leaves on the skin”, Dr Ross explains.
The method can “actually trap oil within the skin and clog the pores resulting in acne breakouts, so it isn’t right for everyone”.
Hayley agrees it “can be a nightmare for those with oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin”.
“The ingredients contained in petroleum jelly could trigger a breakout and upset the skin’s balance, potentially leaving your skin worse off.”
Her simple tip is to try a moisturiser to achieve that glazed-donut look without causing a breakout – CosRxAdvanced Snail92 All in One Moisturising Cream (£16.90) offer a different formula depending on skin types.
The potion contains 92% snail mucin – essentially slime – which sounds gross, but works to “refresh, hydrate and plump the skin without oiliness, helping you accomplish that sought-after glowy complexion”, Hayley explains.
The slime “increases skin elasticity whilst soothing inflamed, sensitive skin following breakouts.
“It’s also cruelty-free and free from parabens, sulphates, phthalates and alcohol, which all can impact the skin’s natural balance.”
DIY LIP PLUMPERS
This TikTok trend is among the most bizarre on the app, with users rubbing their lips with things like chilli and cinnamon to cause them to swell temporarily.
It rings “immediate alarm bells”, Hayley warns, and could “could lead to irritation and swelling to the lips”.
“Lips don’t contain any oil glands, meaning they’re thinner and more sensitive than other parts of skin on your body.
One woman who did it showed off clearly sore lips afterwards.
“This factor means the likes of chillies will trigger the lips as they can damage the skin’s barrier and make them chapped.”
You’re much better off opting for a serum that nourishes your lips while giving them a plump – particularly one like Make-up Revolution Rehab Plump Me Up Lip Serum (£5.10), which is enriched with Hibiscus Esculentus Extract.
The ingredient “stimulate skin cell turnover and inhibit muscle cell contraction, giving a Botox-like effect, for plumper lips”.
When Fabulous approached TikTok for comment, they pointed to their Community Guidelines, which disallow content showing or promoting dangerous activities, or that which could harm people’s health, from being shared on the app.
TikTok says it uses a combination of technology and moderation teams to identify such content and assess whether to remove it from the app. They also point out that some clips might not be suitable for those under 18.
The app says it will investigate Fabulous’s findings, and work to remove any content that violates its policies.