Are you getting skincare advice from social media? If it’s not coming from a qualified skincare expert, you could be putting yourself in danger.
Many of the people posting lack training or education on healthy skincare. They’re simply looking to attract followers by publishing regular posts and videos offering beauty tips. Yet, even if their intentions are good, the information they provide is often incorrect. It could even be dangerous.
So beware of social media skincare trends that could damage the health and quality of your skin.
Beware of Social Media Skincare Trends
We’re not saying you should boycott your favorite beauty bloggers. You may be getting some great entertainment value from them. Just be cautious about taking their advice.
There are certainly some trends that do more harm than good, and you could be engaging in a damaging skincare routine without even knowing it. We’ll look at four that are currently on the troublesome list.
- Applying (and Removing) Peel-Off Masks
The use of peel-off masks on social media has become very popular over the past couple of years. That’s not so strange. What IS strange is the popularity of watching users rip the masks off their faces. The number of likes this act garners is baffling.
It’s also problematic. Frequently pulling these masks off stretches the skin, which can lead to a lack of elasticity and premature aging of the skin. It can also remove the top layer of skin and leave it vulnerable to air pollution, UV rays, pigmentation changes, and even scarring. What’s even worse is that applying them in the first place can be dangerous, given that some of them contain harmful or toxic ingredients that haven’t been cleared by the FDA.
Even if you use a so-called “safe” peel, it can still be highly irritating if you struggle with sensitive skin, eczema, acne, or rosacea. So it’s best to leave the chemical peels to a professional aesthetician.
- Putting Beef Tallow on Your Face
This one sounds more silly or amusing than potentially dangerous. Sure, beef tallow can be highly moisturizing. But it can also clog the pores. Then there’s the issue of its odor. Where using beef tallow goes beyond gross to scary, though, is in how it’s rendered. If not done correctly, it can lead to a low-quality product that could lead to infection.
So skip the tallow and invest in some high-quality moisturizers instead.
- Blasting Skin with Hyaluron Pens
Have you heard? According to some social media sites, the ‘trending’ hyaluron pen is a shortcut and needle-free route to blasting your skin to rejuvenating smoothness. Sound too good to be true? It is. It’s also very risky.
Hyaluron pens are OTC gadgets that blast your skin with high-pressure air to theoretically smooth your skin. Because these pens are unregulated, they can cause uneven results at best, and swelling, bruising, scarring, or severe infections at worst. They bypass all the professional techniques that emphasize proper placement and safety.
Save the high-pressure air for your tires and reach out to a skincare specialist for other safer and proven options.
- Making Lips Fuller with Hot Peppers
If you want fuller lips, cutting open a Scotch bonnet pepper and rubbing it on your lips is not the way to do it. Yes, your lips will get bigger from swelling. But you’re going to be in a lot of pain. If that’s not bad enough, you could also end up with allergic contact dermatitis or other rashes that leave dark spots around the mouth or even on the lips. These spots are not easily remedied.
Fuller lips are much more effectively achieved with a variety of approved dermal fillers.
Don’t Fall for the Hype
Social media influencers with no medical training or expertise in proper skincare are laying claim to results they cannot prove. So beware of social media skincare trends.
To ensure the safest and most effective results, insist on professionals for your skincare.
Whether you’re seeking solutions for medical reasons or are curious about a cosmetic improvement with minimally invasive procedures, contact us today to schedule a consultation with one of our skincare specialists or plastic surgeons. And save social media for the water-skiing squirrels.