As soon as a popular blogger posts another tiphack on the Web, it becomes viral and spreads at the speed of light around the world. In the meantime, many of the smart tricks are dangerous! We consulted a doctor about the most popular ones and, frankly, we were horrified.
Mona Gohara, MD, professor at Yale University and dermatologist, commented on 5 of the most popular pseudo-lifecrafts that are meant to solve our problems in one fell swoop, but in fact only add to them!
1. “Clean clogged pores with dental floss” (more than a million views)
Dr. Gohar commented, “It scares me to look at it. It removes such a superficial layer that a scrub, peel or gommage would do just as well, but damaging the top layer of skin to purple – injuring capillaries – can easily do the trick! The result can be a blue-purple nose, and the skin can take weeks to recover. Honestly, if your pores are so clogged, visit your dermatologist or cosmetologist, but don’t do THIS!”
2. “Use deodorant as a matting agent” (146,000 views)
Dr. Gohar comments, “Deodorant contains aluminum salts and strong perfumes, which can be very dangerous to the skin. Very real consequences: red flaky patches, acne and deep acne,” says the doctor. “Under no circumstances do I advise this; I’m not against multifunctional products and their unusual use, but not in this case.”
3. “Mask herpes on the lips with colorless nail polish” (nearly 200,000 views)
“Nail polish is one of the most common allergens – that’s one. Herpes is a virus, that’s two. Having herpes on your lip, supplementing it with a massive allergic reaction is a highly questionable idea. What’s more, if you put lipstick on top of herpes, the virus will migrate into your lipstick, increasing the risk of reinfection several times over!”
4. “Put wasabi on your pimple to get rid of it” (6.5 million views)
“I know of absolutely no anti-inflammatory properties of wasabi – not at all, at all, a splash, zero. Sincerely, if you know any research – show me some, I’ll throw out my diploma. In the 2 minutes this blogger mentions, real wasabi will just burn your skin, and along with the pimple, which isn’t going anywhere, you’ll be treating the burn.”
5. “Use lemon and baking soda to whiten your skin” (150,000 views)
“Congratulations! You’ve essentially created a mixture that can burn the deeper layers of your skin. Yay! The baking soda particles are hurting your skin, and you’re pouring acid in there to make sure you get irritation. And that’s the best-case scenario. And if you get bacteria in the wounds…”