TikTokers Are Risking Chemical Burns in the Name of Beauty

TikTokers are posting about their experiences with chemical facial peels, which aren’t a new option in the world of beauty. However, these peels always come with risks, even when applied by professionals, and some TikTokers are deciding to take an at-home approach that’s alarming both estheticians and doctors.

If you aren’t familiar with them, these peels are used to remove outer layers of your skin. This forces your skin to regenerate, and often improves your skin’s texture. As you might expect, the process should be done by somebody who’s licensed and trained, which means they can spot potential issues that an untrained person can’t.

There are different strengths of chemical peels, and the strength that you need will vary depending on your skin type and concerns. As the strength increases, the risk of chemical burns and other side effects increases as well. Of course, this hasn’t stopped people from applying peels at home on their own.

The Rise of DIY Chemical Peels on TikTok

This trend picked up steam on TikTok when a user by the name aviante__ made the decision to do an at-home TCA (Trichloroacetic Acid) 30% peel and document the process. TCA peels are a medium-strength option, meaning they penetrate the middle layer of your skin, and 30% is on the stronger side for this category. They’re used for issues like mild discoloration and moderate wrinkles.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t a one-off occurrence, and aviante__ isn’t the only person sharing their at-home chemical peel experience on TikTok. While aviante__ was lucky to avoid lasting damage and shared his gratitude toward commenters who were genuinely concerned about him, the problem is that multiple people posting at-home chemical peels starts to normalize it as an option.

Licensed estheticians, such as slaesthetics_lv, were quick to react to the sudden DIY chemical peel trend with information about why putting chemicals on your face that you aren’t trained to use can be disastrous. Dermatologists, such as drtiapaul, also joined in the trend by making videos that explain the consequences of trying to perform a chemical peel at home.

Saving Money Isn’t Worth Your Health

Using a chemical peel can cause pigmentation problems if you didn’t properly prepare your skin or you use a type that’s not suitable for your skin, and not all of those issues can be reversed. Naturally, burns are always a risk with these peels, and that risk grows as the strength of they peel you use grows. As for doing it yourself, not being in a professional setting makes it easier to get these chemicals where you don’t want them through accident or carelessness, and that could be its own disaster, especially if you end up getting any in your eyes.

Then, there are risks that you might not think about when you haven’t been trained in the field, such as how long the peel is left on and if you applied it evenly. As you use higher strengths and depths, such as the TCA 30% peel, your recovery period grows longer, and that opens up more risk if you aren’t properly caring for your skin.

This isn’t the first time that TikTok has become the conduit for spreading a beauty trend that’s dangerous, especially when done at home, and it’s not going to be the last time it happens either because that’s the nature of social media. I know it’s tempting to save money by doing what you can on your own, but when it comes to choosing between money or your health, please prioritize your health.

(featured image: TikTok aviante__, drtiapaul, slaesthetics_lv)

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