Tik Tok Trend Watch: Cyanide as a Potential Acne Cure?

Warn your patients about this dangerous Tik Tok Trend, says Jeanine B. Downie, MD.

Tik Tok is where many trends and DIY challenges get started, and skin care one of the more popular categories for this content.

 The latest -- a viral video of a woman claiming that she has been 'secretly' feeding her boyfriend seeds containing cyanide (yes, that cyanide) and that it has cleared up his acne --  needs to be interpreted with alarm, says Jeanine B. Downie, MD, Founder and director of image Dermatology in Montclair, NJ. (Cyanide is found in very small quantities in the seeds of fruits such as apples and apricots.)

 “This is crazy,” says Dr. Downie. “There is no medical basis for cyanide to improve acne at all. “

 Cyanide poisoning can lead to death, depending on the dosage in a few minutes to a few hours, she warns. “We should dissuade our patients from this really horrendous and life-threatening TikTok trend.”