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The avalanche of unlikely health hacks on TikTok can only mean it’s the start of a new year. Here we look at some of the most curious tips and the evidence, if any, behind them.
Put elastic bands around your ears to reduce facial swelling.
The South Korean trend of wrapping elastic bands around the ears for 10 minutes to reduce facial swelling has gone global among TikTok users. Proponents claim that the bands help move fluid through the lymphatic system, but there is no scientific evidence to support this. There is evidence that lymphatic massage, which uses gentle outward strokes, can reduce swelling, but the effects are temporary.
Professor Hywel Williams, a specialist in evidence-based dermatology at the University of Nottingham, says many TikTok videos involve young, fit people who don’t have facial swelling to begin with. “Fashion seems to be creating anxiety and inventing something new to worry about,” he says.
But he would like to see a proper trial in which hundreds of people with swollen faces use rubber bands, a piece of cotton, or something else, and have their swelling before and after assessed by an independent panel of beauticians. “I always keep an open mind,” he says, “and sometimes the medical profession can get it wrong.”
Putting garlic in your nose to clear your sinuses
It’s a good thing that TikTok provides a platform for people who want to film huge bubbles of mucus coming out of their garlic-filled nostrils and torrents of mucus coming out when the garlic is removed. The surprising effect is presented as proof that garlic relieves congestion, but that’s nonsense. “This doesn’t clarify anything. The mucus was produced by the lining of the nose in response to the pungent smell of garlic,” says Simon Gane, ear, nose and throat surgeon at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. “It is not ‘released’ from anywhere. A stuffy nose is usually due to swelling of the lining of the nose, not mucus.”
Put castor oil on your belly button to reduce swelling
Entire theses are dedicated to the importance of the navel in fashion, religion and meditation, but biologically it serves no purpose other than to remind us that we were once connected to our mother through an umbilical cord. Some TikTokers claim that pouring castor oil into the belly button, a practice known as belly button lubrication or belly button pulling, helps digestion, reduces bloating, and relieves period pains and endometriosis.
The trend has its roots in Ayurvedic practice, a system of alternative medicine. One treatment claims that essential oils are absorbed through the navel, through what professionals call the “pecotid gland.” So far, scientists have discovered No evidence that such a gland exists.
“Unfortunately, due to a lack of research on women’s health, combined with problems such as long waiting lists and dismissals by medical professionals, many women have turned to unproven home remedies in search of relief from their symptoms.” says Dr Gemma Sharp, epidemiologist. at the University of Exeter. “There are no peer-reviewed scientific studies on applying castor oil to the skin to lose weight or relieve endometriosis symptoms, so there is no solid evidence of its effectiveness. In some cases, it can cause an allergic reaction, so it is best to avoid it.”
Oatzempic helps you lose weight
Ozempic, a diabetes drug, had great success last year, although it is perhaps best known for its slimming effect. Ozempic contains semaglutide, a compound that mimics a hormone and slows digestion. Not to be outdone, TikTokers have created oatzempic, a mixture of oats, water, and lime juice, and say it has similar effects. This claim has not been proven, but people do not lose weight unless they burn more calories than they consume. However, oats might help: They contain soluble fiber called beta-glucan, which can act to reduce body weight and body mass index.
bandage the mouth
Many people breathe through their mouth instead of their nose at night, causing dry mouth, sore throat, and bad breath. They are also prone to snoring. Closing the mouth with porous tape aims to redirect breathing through the nose, which has the added benefit of filtering allergens and making inhaled air more humid. Few studies have looked at whether it works, but a pilot study of 30 people found that taping the mouth reduced snoring in people with mild obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder in which breathing stops and starts repeatedly during sleep.
But taping the mouth can be dangerous for some people. another trial One study of people with obstructive sleep apnea found that while mouth wrapping generally improved airflow, more than a fifth saw it significantly decrease.
“If someone knows that they do not have nasal blockages, are of normal weight, and have not been diagnosed with moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea, then they can try taping their mouth at home,” says Dr. Andrew Huang, an otolaryngologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. . Those who have difficulty breathing through their nose during the day, are overweight or obese, or have been diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea should consult an otolaryngologist before trying it, he adds.