Every now and then, Kim Kardashian goes viral by revealing a new anti-aging skin care routine or treatment, such as the vampire facial, the late-night LED light treatment, and most recently, the salmon sperm facial. On an episode of The Kardashians, she revealed that she’s had facials and injections of salmon sperm, which Allure reports has become popular for its anti-aging properties. (It’s not exactly shocking that Kardashian would go this far, since she once said she’d even eat “poop” to look younger.)

Kardashian does these extravagances because she can. And even though the average person can’t replicate them perfectly, Kardashian still has a lot of influence in the beauty world and helps create unrealistic standards. Through celebrities like Kardashian, the idea that you have to go overboard and use every means has now transcended the celebrity world and permeated culture through social media. On TikTok, the anti-aging methods at home they are often popular. From restrictive meat-only diets for collagen to taping your mouth and sleeping like a vampire, there’s plenty of unsolicited skin care advice from people who aren’t doctors.

You don’t need a strict grooming routine if you’re in your teens

For young people, the messages are understandably mixed, and many get the wrong message that they need to follow strict anti-aging routines while they’re still in their teens. Although older internet users decry this ‘trend’, the internet has a big influence on them causing you to create a ‘mess’ in their heads and retinol products get shelved early…

And in the process, young people are using skin care treatments that could damage their skin early on, under the illusion that it will prevent them from looking older in the future.

Now it is fashionable

You may feel like the whole world is as focused on anti-aging as your FYP, and there’s a real reason for that. Antiaging is a business that in 2021 brought in $37 billion in revenue worldwide, according to Vox. Celebrities and influencers are trying to sell you a product, and whether they actually use it, get cosmetic surgery to get real results, or just have really good genes is up to you to guess.

“The average person should be careful, as these influencers may be paid to say or promote certain things, which would be a conflict of interest,” says board-certified dermatologist Gloria Lin, MD, FAAD of the Schweiger Dermatology Group. “Also, just because one person uses something doesn’t mean it’s suitable for the general public, since everyone’s skin is unique.”

We could, on the contrary, simply listen to the professionals, and we will realize that anti-aging does not need and should not be as spectacular and extreme as the internet presents it. “These trends have little or no scientific data to support their benefits,” says board-certified dermatologist Leah Ansell, MD, FAAD, of Treiber Dermatology Associates. “There are so many skin care trends, and I always go back to what the real science and studies show.”

The DON’S of #skincaretok

First of all, you don’t need to start antiaging treatments before you actually start aging, which varies from person to person. “Initiating anti-aging products can be incorporated into the routine when signs of aging start to become apparent. For some people, that can be in their early 20s and for others in their mid-30s,” says board-certified dermatologist Nava Greenfield, MD of Schweiger Dermatology Group. If you plan to start antiaging treatments, you should do it gradually. “Vitamins A, C, and E along with glycerin and hyaluronic acid to control the visible signs of aging,” says Ansell. “This can be used daily and started in the 20s for an easy and visible hydration/antioxidant effect.”

In fact, starting too early could have negative effects on the skin. As many anti-aging products are designed for older people, they may not be suitable for teenagers as skin changes over time.

Great attention!

Many of the measures and steps you see influencers follow are not that effective. In fact, they are sometimes even counterproductive. For example, the “morning shed” trend on TikTok focuses on using various face masks and tapes during the night to prevent the development of wrinkles during sleep.

One of the most popular elements of this trend is using tape to seal your lips, which is a breathing hazard and can prevent a good night’s sleep, possibly leading to greater repercussions. You should not use tape for the mouth and chin. Quality sleep is essential for the proper functioning of our body and for anti-aging. During sleep, our bodies regulate breathing patterns to optimize rest, and disrupting this process will affect sleep quality. Don’t do it.

Using tape on the skin can also create more problems for your skin. Younger people tend to have thinner and more sensitive skin, so using a face mask and tape while sleeping can cause redness and irritation. Additionally, teenagers tend to have oilier skin, so clogging from face masks and tape can clog pores due to sweating and sebum build-up, causing acne.

Chapter retinol

Although less extreme, another trend you may see heavily highlighted in your FYP is retinol, but sometimes you don’t mention what to look out for.

Retinol, in particular, is something that should not be used too soon. Collagen production begins to decline in the mid to late 20s, so starting retinols or retinoids in adolescence may be unnecessary from an antiaging perspective. It would make sense to start in the mid to late 20s to help with anti-aging though.

Risks of starting too young include retinoids destabilizing the skin’s natural barrier, creating overly dry skin and making your skin more prone to sunburn. There’s no reason to start at a young age, and it can cause skin dryness and irritation, according to experts.

While retinols and retinoids are all over social media, these products can actually increase photosensitivity and the risk of sunburn. This makes the constant use of sunscreen even more important.

Always sunscreen!

Instead of these internet trends, what every young person can and should start is to protect themselves from the sun’s UV rays. It is the greatest gift you can give yourself from an early age and which will reward you in the future!

While following celebrity and TikTok trends can be fun, it shouldn’t be difficult or come out of fear of looking a certain way. Instead, we should do things that make us look and feel good.