Social media is full of advice that promises quick and miraculous solutions for all areas of life. One success is beauty tips: skin, hair and body care. But many of these trends are produced by untrained people and may pose a health hazard.

Beauty trends are spreading online, but experts warn of risks – Credit: Pexel

Experts warn of the importance of using specific products for each skin type based on individual history and dermatological testing. “While they seem like simple and harmless things, many “at-home” tips can cause problems for the patient’s skin,” warns Ana Clara Brathwaite, biomedical and aesthetic health specialist.

One practice that has gone viral — even among celebrities like Victoria Beckham — is skin icing. The term means freezing the skin, in practice it is exactly this: it consists in passing ice over the skin to reduce swelling or immersing the face in a basin of ice.

Like the body, the face also tends to retain fluid. Ice has an anti-inflammatory effect and reduces swelling or redness. The trick can be replaced by facial drainage and does not cause any negative side effects.

Another positive trick is the “moisture sandwich” to keep moisture in the skin. It consists of the process of applying products to wet skin in layers to retain water. The method is useful for dehydrated or dry skin.

Online beauty care tips

But not everything is positive. Since the Internet is a “land of lawlessness,” many risky procedures also end up circulating, as is the case with the menstrual blood mask that promises to rejuvenate the skin.

Brathwaite warns that in addition to hygiene concerns, menstrual blood is made up of epithelial and blood cells, and like any body fluid, blood is highly conducive to microorganism contamination.

“It can even worsen already damaged skin and encourage acne in those who already have a tendency, because blood is a biological material and easily contaminates the other area it comes into contact with,” the specialist emphasizes.