Instead of Botox, some people are turning to “face taping” to prevent wrinkles — but does it really work?
If you scroll on TikTok, hashtag #facetaping has over 35.4 million views, with many people posting videos of themselves putting tape all over their faces before bed in order to stay young.
In one video, TikTok creator @officiallyval showed how she does it, putting skin-colored bandage tape over her forehead, nose and frown lines.
She said that she started doing it because she has “asymmetrical” eyebrows, and wanted to give one brow a little bit of a lift.
In another clip, a TikToker named Danna Omari, wrote that the taping method was like “natural botox.”
But is there any truth to this?
According to the Cleveland Clinic, taping your face to prevent wrinkles can actually work — but only temporarily.
Florida-based plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Newman told the Cleveland Clinic that since your skin is “soft,” the tape only makes the wrinkles disappear because you’re pressing something onto the skin.
“Your skin is soft and somewhat moldable,” Dr. Newman said. “So, you can put a piece of tape on your face and it will make the wrinkle vanish just because you’re making an impression on the skin.”
Dr. Newman said that there were other ways to reduce wrinkles, like simply using certain creams or lotions, or even getting dermal fillers.
Other experts seemed to second Dr. Newman’s input on the trend, with one doctor telling the Miami Herald that you would have to be wearing the tape “all day long” for its results to last for a long time.
There can also be a dangerous side to face taping as well.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, who works as a physician in New Jersey and is the ABC News chief medical correspondent, told Good Morning America this week that the tape can sometimes cause an allergic reaction on some people.
She also warned that when you peel off the tape, it takes off the top layer of skin, which means that it can become more prone to infection.
Further, the doctor noted that getting Botox and fillers injected by a professional is “gold standard” if you want to prevent or improve fine lines.
However, although the technique might be just making a splash on TikTok, facial taping has actually been around for decades.
In 1889, a woman named Margaret Kroesen created an anti-wrinkle patch for her daughter, Alice, who was a piano player. She had noticed that her daughter had developed some wrinkles and frown lines, and the patch was meant to stop them from further developing.
Those patches turned into a brand called Frownies, whose patches “separate and shape the muscles of the face to create a smooth wrinkle free look,” according to their website.
Over the years, there have been a few celebrities who have praised the trend — including the Kardashian matriarch, Kris Jenner, according to a 2011 NBC News article.
At the time, she said that her children, Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney, use it, too.
The Post reached out to the TikTokers for further comment.