A health expert has issued a warning about a dangerous TikTok beauty trend that can "burn" or "scar" a person's genitals.
This comes after the rise of "sugaring" videos on the platform, which is typically only done by trained professionals in beauty salons to remove body hair.
Sugar gel is used by beauticians to bind hair together, making it easier to remove it by the root.
Watch a TikTok sugaring tutorial below:However, as beauty salons are currently closed in many parts of the world as a result of the ongoing pandemic, many people are attempting the procedure at home.
Sugaring, when carried out correctly, can cause less damage to the skin than traditional waxing or shaving.
But Stephanie Taylor, an intimate health expert and managing director of Kegel8, has now warned people to think twice before attempting sugaring at home.
She told The Sun: "Some women (and some men) have taken to waxing their legs and armpits using the sugaring technique, while others, are trying it out on their pubic hair too.
"Sugaring, which involves mixing sugar and lemon with boiling water to create a sticky solution that will pull hair from the skin, can cause severe scolding to the sensitive skin in your intimate area if the temperature of the water is too hot when applied.
"This can leave you with painful burns, dangerous infections, and irreversible scarring."
As per The Star, there has been an unsurprising rise in the popularity of DIY beauty trends during lockdown, with the hashtag "#sugaringwax" receiving over 30million views.
Stephanie added that many of these videos show people making the wax from household substances like lemon, sugar and water, which is very similar to another dangerous substance.
She added: "Very worryingly, the recipe is very similar to a homemade substance often used by prison inmates as a weapon, known colloquially as napalm. The mixture sticks to the skin and intensifies burns, leaving people with horrific injuries.
"This lockdown, I’d recommend leaving intimate waxing to the experts or buying an at-home kit from a recognized brand which come with tried and tested instructions to keep you safe."
