There are plenty of reasons to love TikTok. If you’re a regular user of the entertainment app, you know that there’s a top TikTok trend heating up your feed every other week.
According to research, 30% of UK adults have tried a wellness or fitness trend after seeing it on social media. Along with many adults who agreed that they have been receiving news from TikTok on a daily basis ever since the social media platform had gone viral.
This popular app has a lot of content-creators who offer advice on food, make-up, health and wellness and so much more. TikTok has become like a little clinic app with health trends every week as content creators share some so-called hacks to cure what ails you. However, are these trends safe to use?
Experts urge individuals to be aware of certain trends on Tik-Tok and to not follow everything blindly but to inquire of whether they are safe to use or not.
Here are some Tik-Tok trends which are either safe to use or not according to Cleveland Clinic’s experts:
DIY Teeth whitening
There are many at-home teeth whitening products which contain hydrogen peroxide and can be both safe and effective. But that doesn’t mean it’s safe to use pure hydrogen peroxide on your teeth, as some TikTokkers are doing.
According to The American Dental Association which has approved some products that include safe amounts of peroxide, but that’s the keyword: safe.
According to Dentist Anne Clemons, DMD, putting any abrasive substance, including pure peroxide, directly onto your teeth can cause serious damage.
Overall, there are a few ways at-home teeth whitening can be done safely, but this isn’t among them. If you’re concerned about yellowing teeth, your dentist can help.
#WhatIEatInaDay
One of TikTok’s most popular and long standing trends is daily food videos in which TikTokkers share everything they eat during 24 hours. Which sounds absurd, but viewers should beware: These videos can promote disordered eating.
And each body’s daily calories are different.
Frozen honey
Got a sweet tooth? You may be tempted to try this trend of freezing honey overnight then squeezing it out into a semi-solid, gelatinous ice pop. But you’d be better off with an actual ice pop.
According to Cleveland clinic, Honey has health benefits in moderation, but eating too much can increase blood sugar, lower blood pressure and cause a seriously upset stomach, including diarrhea. And gastroenterologist Alberto Rubio-Tapia, MD, says that if you have fructose intolerance (which you might not even realize), your upset stomach could be even worse.
Rice water for hair
Many commercial hair care products have claimed to make your hair luxuriously shiny. But could the real secret be boiling in a pot of water on your stove? TikTok beauty buffs are singing the praises of rice water to make hair long and glossy.
Dermatologist Shilpi Khetarpal, MD, explains that rice water, the starchy liquid created when you soak or cook rice in water, includes inositol, touted as a hair rejuvenator and thought to promote hair growth.
Overall there are no negative side effects of using rice water in your hair (unless you’re dealing with scalp inflammation), so feel free to give rice water a try.
The Benadryl® challenge
This dangerous trend challenges people to take large amounts of diphenhydramine (a.k.a. Benadryl) to experience hallucinations and an altered mental state.
It’s never a good idea to take large quantities of a medication, and Benadryl is no different. Taken correctly, the medication treats seasonal allergies and reduces itching. According to pediatric emergency medicine specialist Purva Grover, MD, taking large quantities of Benadryl can cause scary side effects and result in brain damage or even death.
This so-called challenge is incredibly dangerous and absolutely should not be attempted.
Hydrogen peroxide for earwax
TikTokkers say pouring hydrogen peroxide into your ear canal can help resolve earwax buildup. But is it safe?
Ear, nose and throat specialist Anh Nguyen-Huynh, MD, says peroxide can help break up earwax, but in its pure form, it can also irritate your ear canal. Ouch! What’s more, most people don’t actually need to clean out their ears, as earwax helps protect your eardrums — and typically falls out on its own.
If you’re having trouble hearing, you may have impacted cerumen, a wax plug blocking your ear canal. In that case, see your doctor for assistance.
Don’t put concentrated hydrogen peroxide in your ears, but over-the-counter ear cleaning drops are OK every now and then, if you’re having trouble.
