Lash curlers can work magic on your eyes, but some people are taking the tool to the next level.
Youtube channel 5-Minute Magic, which has over three million subscribers, shared a video to their page that demonstrated alternative uses for eyelash curlers. Some of their ideas included using the tool to squeeze blackheads and make lips more plump.
This gross trick may seem like a cheap alternative to the dermatologist, but it definitely isn’t safe.
“That is the worst idea yet,” Debra Jaliman, MD, a New York City–based dermatologist and author of Skin Rules, tells Health. “I’ve seen people do strange things, but this can cause a ton of different problems.”
Dr. Jaliman explains that eyelash curlers can carry different types of harmful bacteria, including streptococcus, staphylococcus, and MRSA. This bacteria can move into the pores if a person is using an eyelash curler to squeeze out blackheads. Additionally, she adds, you can potentially break skin while attempting to use lash curlers in this way, which gives the bacteria another way to enter your body and can scar your face.
“There are plenty of tools specifically made for removing blackheads,” Dr. Jaliman says. “You don’t have to go to the dermatologist necessarily, but you shouldn’t use a makeshift instrument.”
You can buy an actual blackhead removal kit conveniently on Amazon. The Ellesye Blackhead Remover ($7; amazon.com) has over 350 glowing 5-star reviews and is currently an Amazon Prime Day deal—add it to your cart before it’s gone.
As for plumping up your lips with a curler? Also a no-go.
“That is ridiculous,” Dr. Jaliman says. “You can transfer herpes between your mouth and your eye by using it that way.”
Plus, she adds, there’s a lot to know about the anatomy of lips. Dr. Jaliman says that you can potentially puncture a blood vessel in your lip, which could cause internal bleeding and a potentially life-threatening hemorrhage.
“People who aren’t familiar with anatomy can really hurt themselves trying to use a lash curler this way,” Dr. Jaliman says. “It’s just a really terrible idea.”
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