For a while now, the Internet has been a breeding ground for some of the most ridiculous challenges. Social media has exacerbated this phenomenon in that social networks are what allows some of these very dangerous trends to go viral.
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First, there was the Thigh Holding challenge, which consisted of trying to wrap one's hands around one's thigh. Then came the "A4 Waist Challenge" that prompted girls to place a sheet of A4 paper (21 cm by 29.7 cm) vertically in front of their waist. And of course, we can't forget the Ice Bucket Challenge. Now, we have the "lip glue challenge."
The aim of this challenge is to make your lips look bigger by rolling up your upper lip. But this challenge is not without risk, because in order to keep the lip in this position, teens are putting a lot of superglue on the space above their lip and gluing it to their upper lip.
Dermatologists say this trend is dangerous
This new challenge quickly went viral on "TikTok", teenagers' favorite social network. Although many teenagers have already taken on the challenge, it can be dangerous. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, putting superglue on your face can cause allergies and contact dermatitis because of the latex in the glue. This very irritating substance can cause a lot of harm to the skin, but that's not all.
Alarming psychological consequences
Owen Muir, director of mental health at Brooklyn Minds, a mental health treatment center in New York, was interviewed by Health magazine about the psychological effects of challenges:
"Teenagers love trends. [...] It’s a way for them to connect with other teenagers and to make sure that they’re in the in crowd."
But he goes on to explain that the adolescent brain is not yet fully formed, so their ability to assess the risks of joining these ridiculous challenges isn't fully developed. It is therefore important for parents to talk to their children and lay out the dangers of viral challenges.
