On TikTok, people use cycle blood to make face masks and … It’s debatable

With TikTok, you need to know how to order. Because if the platform is full of good ideas and very useful content to enrich our skincare and make-up routine, it is also the breeding ground for sometimes dubious trends. This is the case with a “trick” sold to be “a miraculous secret for beautiful skin”. The latter consists apply menstruation blood to the face and leave it in the form of a mask. According to one of them, the rules embody “All the stem cells and all the nutrients a baby needs and, of course, your skin and body need.” But is it really so?

A menstrual mask: good or bad idea?

Menstrual blood is not dirty or toxic. But is it okay to apply it on the skin? According to dermatologist Joyce Park, interviewed by the magazine formThe answer is no “for a variety of reasons”.

She explains:

“Menstrual blood is a mixture of epithelial – skin – cells of the uterine lining, white blood cells and red blood cells […] Blood can be easily contaminated with germs, [tels que] bacteria or fungi and can spread to the skin. If you have sexually transmitted infections, you can also spread them to the skin on your face using tainted menstrual blood. “.

Dr. Gary Goldenberg, a dermatologist, is just as skeptical as Dr. Park. In his opinion, ” there is no scientific evidence that the use of whole blood, menstrual or not, has any aesthetic benefits. In fact, red blood cells are pro-inflammatory and can become aggravated [l’état de la peau]. “

We’re OK. But let’s underline the idea anyway!

The menstrual mask not to be confused with the Vampire Face Lift

If the menstrual mask is not recommended by experts, it is not to be confused with the skin care that Dr. Barbara Sturm has introduced to the general public: the vampire face lift. Practiced, at the time, on Kim Kardashian who praised him, the latter is composed collect blood via a blood drawto put it in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma and mix it with calcium chloride. Once the compound is ready, the doctor practices a series of injections in strategic points of the face to reduce wrinkles.

A scientific process totally supervised by health professionals which therefore has nothing to do with the menstrual mask practiced on TikTok … But it was a good attempt!

Front page image credits: @mmmmmarlenecharisse and @ mikay.fer.