TikTok has seen a dangerous trend called "bone smashing" emerging, where individuals attempt to improve facial features through blunt object strikes. This painful practice, trending for several months, has alarmed experts.
Participants refer to it as hitting their faces with hammers, bottles, or massagers to enhance beauty. Despite TikTokers promoting it, there's no evidence supporting its effectiveness, with potential for harm and facial damage.
Does the TikTok Bone Smashing Trend Work? The Dangerous Pursuit of Beauty and the Misuse of Wolff's Law
How Does Bone Smashing Work?
The TikTok bone smashing trend involves intentionally fracturing bones to achieve a more aesthetically appealing appearance, particularly emphasizing features like enhanced cheekbones or chin prominence. This practice draws inspiration from Wolff's Law formulated by German anatomist and surgeon Julius Wolff in the 1800s.
It underscores the dynamic nature of bones, continually remodeling as old or damaged bone is replaced by newly formed bone. Applying mechanical force or physical stress can expedite this remodeling, potentially resulting in stronger, denser bones.
Conversely, a lack of such stimuli can lead to bone thinning and weakness, highlighting the importance of activities like weight-bearing exercises to maintain bone health.
The underlying premise of this trend suggests that using blunt objects to induce facial fractures can lead to a transformative, permanent makeover, offering a more "chiseled" appearance.
It hinges on the belief that subjecting facial bones to trauma will result in their strengthening, adhering to the adage, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger."
Nonetheless, approaching this practice as if one's face were an Easter Island statue entails considerable risks and potential harm. The controversy surrounding bone smashing arises from the necessity for precision and force, rendering it a complex and demanding procedure.
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No Medical Data To Back Up Bone Smashing Benefits
The bone-smashing trend, believed to have its origins in an incel forum, has now found its way onto popular platforms like TikTok wherein individuals, primarily men, have been sharing videos in which they lightly strike their faces using tools such as hammers, massage guns, or even their bare hands.
However, this trend has not gone unchallenged. Many TikTok users have taken to the platform to mock its absurdity and question its effectiveness. Some have even posted satirical videos, feigning participation only to deliver a comedic twist.
It's essential to note that no medical data is supporting the idea that bone smashing can genuinely sculpt the desired facial features touted by social media enthusiasts. Medical aesthetics expert Dr. Sanjay Trikwan has cautioned against this practice, emphasizing that the risks of something going wrong far outweigh any potential benefits.
Dr. Trikwan clarified that although localized inflammation can briefly make something appear larger, this effect is short-lived. It will not result in long-lasting hardness or strength and may cause permanent damage if done incorrectly.
Even TikTok users without medical backgrounds have joined the fray, using the platform to issue warnings against this trend. Some have been actively commenting on videos featuring individuals attempting bone smashing, striving to dissuade others from partaking and shed light on the potential hazards it poses.
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