Women are smearing period blood on their faces in hopes of smoother skin – but an expert has warned against the trend.
That's right, 'menstrual masking' is the new thing over on TikTok, seeing women make use of their monthly flow.
With more than 1.1million views on the hashtag 'menstrual mask' on the video sharing app, more and more menstruators are seeking an alternative option when it comes to caring for their face.
READ MORE: 'Menstrual masking' trend sees women apply period blood to faces for glowy skin
Influencer Derya appears to be an avid menstrual masker as her posts on the matter have racked up thousands of views – she even admitted to fertilising her plants with her period blood too.
Despite push back from trolls, Derya claimed: "There is absolutely nothing dirty about period blood, it's not the same liquid as actual blood."
"This blood was meant to carry and give life to our baby. So it has all the stem cells and all the nutrients our baby would have needed and, of course, our own skin and body needs.
"It only produces what is meant for your body and your skin."
But, Very Well Health says: "Period blood is made up of the same blood that is flowing through your veins, but it also contains tissue that has been shed from the endometrium —the lining of your uterus."
And now Cigdem Kemal Yilmaz, Chemical Engineer and founder of Skin Masterclass, has warned people to steer clear of the intimate trend.
The expert explained: "I definitely wouldn't advise this.
"I believe this trend was initiated as a DIY option for the PRP (platelet-rich plasma) treatment which is carried out in a clinical setting under sterile conditions.
"PRP is prepared by a process known as differential centrifugation in which the whole blood goes through an initial centrifugation to separate red blood cells (RBC) followed by a second centrifugation to concentrate platelets, which are suspended in the smallest final plasma volume."
Cigdem Kemal Yilmaz continued: "PRP contains chemokines, cytokines, and seven fundamental protein growth factors, which can contribute to the acceleration of healing, tissue growth, and generation of hyaluronic acid.
"This technique actually happens to be medically proven, but please note that there is NO scientific or clinical evidence to say applying menstrual blood on your face can have a beneficial impact on the skin."
The expert shared that applying period blood to your face could have the opposite effect to what people were hoping to achieve in the first place.
She noted: "There are significant hygiene issues that can occur as menstrual blood contains cellular debris such as uterine tissue, mucus lining, and bacteria.
"In fact, the blood itself can cause an inflammatory reaction and could potentially make skin more problematic. Hence why RBCs and WBCs are separated with techniques such as PRP.
"This is a trend that I would suggest staying away from, and instead go for treatments like micro-needling, and PRP in the clinic combined with a personalised skincare routine that your skincare consultant can help you create after a skin analysis and consultation."
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