If there’s one thing I’m sure of by now, it’s that TikTok never ceases to amaze me, though most of the time, it’s not in a good way. Today, I have a bone to pick with a recent (and bizarre) trend native to the app—one that led me to spend the last few evenings inspecting my scalp with a mirror in one hand and my phone camera in the other, nitpicking at the newly discovered imperfections of my scalp. That’s right, I just wrote ‘scalp’.

Introducing TikTok’s ‘scalp check’ trend, a new mania where users on the app try to figure out whether they’re bound to become bald or not—no matter how young they may be.If you believe those who participate in the movement, how nicely your parted hair looks in aerial view says a lot about how much hair you’ll have on top of your head in the next few years. Currently at 58.9 million views, the hashtag #scalpcheck has gen Zers literally checking their scalps and houses videos with hundreds of thousands of comments from those with scalp envy. The world has truly gone mad.

@wendyduenezz

Oh hell naw 😭😭#scalpcheck

♬ IMA NEED MY SKATES geetheharajuku - Gee

But why are TikTokers so worried about their potentially receding hairline and why does it feel like yet another impossible beauty standard has come out of the woodwork for us to fear?

While over on platforms like YouTube typing in #scalpcheck will result in a page full of ASMR videos to tickle your sensory fancy—with a dash of vigorous shampooing and a head massaging to boot—TikTok is home to a very different type of hair-related content. Though there remains a marginal part of the app’s community—which still manages to rack in views in the millions—that perform ASMR scalp checks, most recently videos currently under the hashtag showcase people either proudly sifting through ten out of ten tresses or embarrassingly exposing aerial shots of their roots.

I, for one, only ever took notice of my scalp for two things growing up: dandruff and the feared head lice. However, it seems like balding is now the top priority for gen Z. There are several reasons why your hair might be falling out, aside from the loose shedding that’s normal to experience. GQ labels salt intake among some of the other reasons—such as genetics, medication, stress and even diet—why you may experience hair loss.

Speaking with Kevin Moore, a trichologist (which is an expert on all things hair) at Regrowz, GQ explained that too much salt in your diet can “definitely” damage the health of your hair and potentially cause it to fall out.

“Consuming too much salt will cause a build-up of sodium which will then develop around hair follicles. This affects the blood circulation flowing to the hair follicles and prevents essential nutrients getting to the follicles. Eventually, this causes hair to become lifeless, dull and even causes hair loss,” Moore added.

That being said, if you’re about ready to throw out your salt and vinegar crisp stash, you may want to hold off. GQ stressed that we should take heed of genetics, which are, unfortunately, a key player when it comes to your hair, according to nutritionist and co-author of The Detox Kitchen Bible, Rob Hobson.

“There’s not a huge amount you can do to prevent balding. If you’re low in iron it can make hair brittle, and B vitamins are involved in how healthy your hair is,” Hobson shared with the outlet.

Sporting your side-part for views is a new way to signal your superiority, apparently. Though the scalp checking trend is nowhere near as harmful as its scalp popping sibling, it is slowly turning into yet another beauty standard for people to measure up to. Like seriously, I lose cool points for having an itchy scalp now? How are we even supposed to keep up anymore?

@graceebrown18

My biggest flex as a fake blonde of 5 years…. It’s all mine #scalpcheck #hair #LinkBudsNeverOff #OREOBdayStack

♬ IMA NEED MY SKATES geetheharajuku - Gee

@theaussierapunzel

Healthy hair starts from the scalp @rapunzelrescuehair ✨ #scalpcheck #hairtok

♬ original sound - 😵‍💫💞

The trend has evidently led many to question their hair health and even feel insecure about their scalp’s appearance. Ridiculous, right? At least, the comments sections don’t lie and I think I’ve found my people in some of them.

@bradpittsdivorcelawyer

#scalpcheck

♬ IMA NEED MY SKATES geetheharajuku - Gee

“Never thought I would be jealous of a scalp but here we are,” said one user with over 72,000 likes on their comment. “Cannot believe the internet has come to this,” another said. “No we are not about to do scalp check trends [right now] it’s my biggest insecurity,” stated someone else.

@thefabulouscourtney

at least i’d look cute bald #scalpcheck #pov

♬ IMA NEED MY SKATES geetheharajuku - ✰

In the comments of one viral video made by @thefabulouscourtney, users noted how this trend is leading the way for more insecurities to arise, such as having a cowlick, for example. Though there are ways to get rid of them—mainly by training your hair to form in a different way—cowlicks are small quirks that we shouldn’t feel the need to overcome.

But what if it’s too late and you’ve already fallen into the bald-fearing hysteria?? Well, before you go start shaving your head, know that SCREENSHOT has previously covered carrot oil as a possible magic cure for hair growth.

Caster oil has also come up time and time again as the heralded secret elixir to make your locks more luscious. Meanwhile, according to Harper’s Bazaar, rosemary oil is the way to go. Byrdie also listed off a few food remedies that you can pull out from your cupboards to combat the dreaded thinning scalp.

Last but not least, scalp checks themselves may be a possible answer too—in a strange full circle ouroboros type of way—since they point out the very problems you might need to solve. The practice is actually a hairstylist go-to that, when done correctly, can be quite beneficial for mane maintenance. In response to the trend’s rise in popularity, professionals have now taken to sharing their own experience with the practice and are dishing out tips online so as to not make everyone so insecure, but instead allow them to check the health of their head of hair at home.

@glowwithava

the scalp series continues... stay tuned for part 2!! #scalp #beautytipswithava #hairjourney #scalpcheck

♬ original sound - AVA

It has been proved that viral TikTok trends, especially when it comes to wellness and beauty, are bringing in big business for doctors. They’d kindly like it to stop. Because I’m also prone to my moments of online gullibility—I keep on meaning to try pesto eggs or cloud bread, along with a cup of lettuce water for a good’s night sleep, I just never find the time—I’ve made it my mission to help you pick the right trends to try at home. I’ve scoured the internet in search of the most viral ones, but I didn’t stop there. I made sure to get the opinion of real professionals (doctors, dermatologists, and beauty experts) before giving the green light to any of the following ‘tips and tricks’.

“I always know when something is trending on TikTok because I’ll have an influx of patients coming in and asking me about the same thing,” said Doctor Niket Sonpal, a gastroenterologist in New York, when speaking to The New York Times. Nine times out of ten, that “thing” is a beauty or wellness tip that’s gone viral on the app, without any evidence that it actually works or that it won’t harm you in the process. On the contrary, the advice given by some users may be outright dangerous, from drinking chlorophyll to lose weight to using sunscreen only in select areas of your face for a ‘natural’ contouring.

Even if their advice is not grounded in science, many content creators dare to share that kind of information if it means going viral on the video-sharing app. And what’s worse—it often works. Many users throw reason and caution to the wind when faced with these trends, underscoring a growing subversion of authority in which an influencer’s word is replacing that of experts.

Slugging is defined online as a Korean beauty skincare trend that includes coating your face in petroleum or Vaseline. “This prevents transepidermal water loss and keeps moisture in your skin. It’s best for dry skin types,” reads an article in the beauty-focused publication Byrdie.

@ahliyahmichelle

Beauty Secrets pt. 1: 𝕊𝕃𝕌𝔾𝔾𝕀ℕ𝔾! ✨ #TikTokPartner #LearnOnTikTok #beautysecrets #skincaresecrets #slugging #blacktiktok

♬ Retrofit (Remix) - Chris Alan Lee

The hashtag #slugging has just over 15 million views on the platform, and the trend has been promoted by influencers like Hyram Yarbro and Cait Kiernan. Yet dermatologists warn that it can have adverse effects on your skin.

“Putting an occlusive on your skin and letting it sit overnight sets you up for exacerbating clogged pores and breakouts,” Doctor Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon in New York, explained to The New York Times.

Introduced on the app as “suntan contouring,” this trend encourages users to apply an initial layer of SPF 30 to their entire face and then layer a thicker SPF 90 only to its high points. The results, some TikTokers claim, make your face look “naturally snatched”—a term usually reserved for a sharp contour and healthy amount of highlighter.

@stopiteli

I am convinced this works! #tutorial #contour #summer #lifehack #hack #beautyhack #snatched #tiktokwellness #hiddentalent

♬ original sound - Eli Withrow

What this ‘hack’ seems to completely ignore is the necessary (and dermatologist recommended) skincare practice we all know to be essential: protection from the sun. By adding the right amount of sunscreen only on high points like the top of the cheekbones and bridge of the nose, the rest of the face of many trend-followers is left to burn, not tan.

“What skin do you choose to age faster, expose to radiation more, and sacrifice to skin cancer? Do you want your cheeks to be more wrinkly? Or would you rather your jawline be saggier?” asked Doctor Rachel Nazarian, a board-certified dermatologist, in another Byrdie article.

While this trend falls on the more harmless side of what fake hacks have to offer, it’s important to tell it like it is: drinking chlorophyll simply doesn’t work and is nothing more than a waste of your time and money. If people are seeing ‘results’ from drinking chlorophyll, it’s likely because they’re drinking more water than normal, so their skin is getting better and their bathroom trips are more regular. Other than that, not much to praise here.

Just as I was double-checking what I just stated above, Healthline confirmed what I initially thought, “Larger, more rigorous studies are needed to evaluate the potential health benefits of chlorophyll.” Until then, don’t waste your money and remember to drink (normal) water regularly.

Microneedling involves puncturing the skin with tiny needles in an effort to generate new collagen (usually on the face). On TikTok, conversation around at-home microneedling grew in 2020 and is already experiencing five times more engagement in 2021, according to Traackr as reported by The New York Times, but experts say it’s incredibly risky to do at home.

While some studies have shown that medical-grade microneedling can improve skin suppleness and lessen wrinkles, “it needs to be done in a really clean, safe setting,” Doctor Engelman said, pointing to the high risk of infection. “If you go hard enough on your skin, it can lead to colour change, textural change and scarring, essentially worsening what you’re trying to make look better, like fine lines and acne scars.”

Models like Aleece Wilson—who’s literally called @oddfreckles on Instagram—and Adwoa Aboah have been made famous by the perfect archipelago of the little brown specks across their faces. And fair enough, freckles can look amazing, even when fake. That being said, if you’ve been seduced by one of TikTok’s faux freckles trends, you’ve probably unknowingly played a good old game of Russian roulette with your face. Let me explain.

As freckles became very much in last year, TikTokers came up with a few different ways to get the look. Most of them were perfectly safe and usually resulted in a soft and natural look. All you had to do was to flick some henna at your face or draw teeny tiny dots on it using nothing more than an eyebrow pencil. So far so good.

Then appeared another fake freckles trend, one that I fully prohibit you from trying, which involves using a sewing needle and some ink to essentially tattoo freckles on your face. The needle is used to dot the ink onto the desired area of the skin.

The hack recently made headlines after Australian reality TV star Tilly Whitfeld ended up being hospitalised because of it. The celebrity posted a photo of her scarred face on Instagram, and wrote in the caption: “For those asking why I have my blue clay face mask on continuously throughout the show this is what my face looked like a week prior to entering the house hence why I always have makeup on and my skin is always covered. This is the result of attempting to remove scarring I inflicted on myself trying to replicate an at home beauty procedure I saw on a tik tok video 2 months before big brother… who bloody else would manage to do such a thing.”

Voir cette publication sur Instagram

Une publication partagée par paris 4 president (@tillywhitfeld)

According to HITC, Whitfeld used brown tattoo ink that she’d purchased off eBay to achieve the look. It turns out the ink she bought was counterfeit and had high levels of lead in it, which resulted in the nasty allergic reaction and infection on her face. Nope, thank you very much.

Stories like Whitfeld’s have doctors hoping that the companies running these platforms will place disclaimers on beauty content stating that it’s unverified or dangerous to try at home, but they’re not holding their breath. In the meantime, make sure you reach out to a real doctor before putting your faith in a TikTok video with millions of likes. Sounds almost counternatural, I know.