Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

Full-face hot-wax TikTok videos prompt warnings

Full-face hot-wax TikTok videos prompt warnings

Viral videos of people having full-face "hot wax" treatments on TikTok have led to warnings from skin experts.

They show softened resin covering subjects' face, mouth and neck - and partially penetrating their ears and nose - before being removed.

A barber posting some of the most watched examples says it is beneficial.

But the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) said: "Attempting to wax inside your nose or ears is not recommended."

A UK-based skin specialist has also raised safety concerns about the risk of obstructed breathing.

And one expert has suggested TikTok should add a warning.

But it has indicated the videos are excluded from its community guidelines on dangerous behaviour because they show skilled professionals.

'World first'


They have gained barbershop Kapsalon Freedom, in the Netherlands, a following more than 800,000 TikTok users.

One of its first attempts, posted in November, attracted nearly 84 million views, after Dutch media reports.

It left the bottom portion of the customer's face exposed.

But a more recent example, with more than 19 million views, shows the wax resin coming down over a man's chin and on to his neck.

Sections pulled out of his ears and nose are held up to the camera to show dozens of hairs poking out of the now hardened substance.

In this case, the wax runs around but not over his mouth.

But other clips show fully covered faces, with cotton swabs used to create air passages.

One video with more than one million views shows this full-face mask being removed from a woman's face and neck
Strips of paper are also used to protect eyelashes and eyebrows.

Barber Renaz Ismael has said face-waxing is common in the Middle East, where he was born.

But he has taken it to a new level.

"I am the first person in the world who has done whole waxing," he told BBC News.

"It's not bad for your skin."

Smaller audiences


Mr Ismael is now using the hashtag #viral to promote the clips.

And some have been set to music.

He has also posted examples on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

But they have attracted much smaller audiences.

'Cause suffocation'


Alex Echeverri, who works at John and Ginger salon, in West Sussex, raised safety concerns about others attempting the process.

"Our first consideration would be that it could cause suffocation," the beautician, who has more than two decades of experience in the industry, said.

"There's no control element to smothering the face with wax.

"And wax hardens.

"So it could harden in the airways and have to be surgically removed."

'Pus-filled bumps'


London-based Turkish barbershop Adam Grooming Atelier said: "To wax such a large area of delicate skin is very irresponsible."

The BAD also raised concern the videos could lead to copycat incidents.

"Social-media platforms have the ability of quickly spreading health and beauty trends," Dr Anjali Mahto said.

"Waxing is a traumatic process for the skin, especially sensitive areas such as those found around the eyes.

"These areas can become inflamed and irritated.

"In some cases, tiny pimples or pus-filled bumps could develop as a result.

"This is known as folliculitis."

'Potentially harmful'


The British Skin Foundation also raised concern some of the clips showed the wax being used on what appear to be primary-school-age youngsters.

"Personally I would not recommend treating children," consultant dermatologist Dr Emma Wedgeworth said.

"It seems sensible to have a warning.

"There is a lot of misinformation and potentially harmful DIY beauty practices on TikTok and other social-media channels.

"And it would be good to see these more tightly regulated."

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×