TikTok: The new challenge that's worrying both parents and doctors

By definition, trends come and go. But that doesn't mean their effects are temporary. Months after the dangerous Milk Crate Challenge, which sent some TikTok users to the hospital, a new challenge is born. But in addition to being painful, this challenge could leave marks on the face in the long run.

A painful and not necessarily ephemeral challenge

New month, new trend. When opening TikTok, we notice that a new trend appears on the favourite social network of Gen Z: #scaronface. The concept is simple, it consists of pinching your cheek strongly in a certain way to make a reddish mark appear on the face.

Why? To adopt a 'pirate' style look and to give the impression that one has fought against a classmate. If the challenge was merely painful, it would surely go unnoticed. The problem is that the 'scar' could stay on your face much longer than expected…

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Stellate angioma

Among teachers, this strange trend has not gone unnoticed: according to LeParisien, the concern is so great that some schools have simply told students not to scar themselves. If this phenomenon is in the news, it is mainly because it is not without risk.

By pinching their cheeks, fans of this challenge can inflict stellate angiomas on themselves, otherwise known as spider angioma or spider nevus. The Manuel MSD describes this dermatological condition in this way:

A stellate angioma is a small, bright red spot on the skin surrounded by fine red lines. These lines are reminiscent of a sun or star, hence the name.

While most of the time stellate angiomas are short-lived, they can be more invasive on the face and have cosmetic consequences. In the worst cases, they may even require surgery.

So, you should probably pass on this trend and wait for a safer one to come along...

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This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

- Le Parisien: 'La « cicatrice », le dernier jeu dangereux des ados sur TikTok'

- Manuel MSD: 'Angiomes stellaires'