TikTok users are gluing their lips to make them look fuller — here's why that's dangerous
Move over “Kylie Jenner Challenge.” The internet has its next viral, fuller lips challenge — and it’s a sticky situation.
The latest challenge involves young girls applying eyelash adhesive or nail glue right above their upper lips to pin them back and make them look fuller.
While some outlets are saying this all started with TikTok user @chloehammock4’s Sept. 7 video, others on social media have commented that @gnarlysinner, who posted a similar TikTok video on Sept. 6, was the first to do this. Regardless, @chloehammock4’s video in particular took off, garnering more than 400,000 likes and over 3,000 comments. In the video, she’s seen swiping some sort of glue across her upper lip, letting it air dry for a bit, and then pressing her upper lip so it stays up, creating the illusion of fuller, Kylie Jenner-esque lips.
The video has created a domino-like effect, with several others following suit on TikTok and Twitter.
But Susan Massick, dermatologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Lifestyle that — no surprise — using glue on your face, particularly the lip area, is not a good idea.
“Many adhesives, particularly nail glues, contain the chemical cyanoacrylate, similar to what you can find in Super Glue,” Massick tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “There is no reason to be applying these adhesives on to your face, let alone on the lip.”
She adds: “These chemicals can cause itching, redness, and irritation to your skin and some patients who are allergic can develop blistering.”
So what can people do to get healthy, fuller-looking lips?
Massick recommends maintaining lips by moisturizing them with emollients such as Aquaphor, Vaseline, or Vaniply and trying to avoid licking your lips, which is dehydrating. Since lips are particularly vulnerable to the sun damage, protect them by using lip balm during the day with SPF 15 or higher.
“With makeup, you can exaggerate your lip line with lip liner and fill in with the same-colored lipstick or lip gloss to give a fuller-appearing lip,” Massick suggests.
While lip injections certainly aren’t necessary or right for everyone, it’s also an option for some. “If you are still wanting a fuller pout, then you can consider having lip filler injections performed by a board-certified dermatologist or plastic surgeon for improved lip enhancement and augmentation,” she says.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
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