People are swapping Botox for hemorrhoid cream — and experts are begging them to stop.
TikTok’s latest wave of unhinged beauty hacks comes with concern: dabbing hemorrhoid cream on under-eye bags to supposedly smooth and de-puff without ever stepping into a derm’s office.
On the social media platform, women are claiming that Preparation H is a miracle fix for puffy eyes, saying that it supposedly tightens skin and mimics the effect of under-eye filler — an expensive non-surgical treatment used to reduce dark circles and hollowness by adding volume.
But dermatologists are popping the puff-reducing bubble.
New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss — a board-certified expert in facial rejuvenation — has long warned against the hemorrhoid hack, especially since some creams contain phenylephrine, a vasoconstrictor and steroids.
Using a cream with phenylephrine “plus the steroid around the eyes” can “increase your risk of glaucoma,” Idriss warned in a TikTok video.
Steroid creams, she added, “worsen the look of your wrinkles and the redness around your eyes” and give you a “shrivelly” appearance.
Fellow New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Mark Strom agreed, advising those who are adamant about trying this bizarre trend to be “especially careful not to choose a hemorrhoid cream with hydrocortisone in it, as that’s a topical steroid that will thin out your skin with everyday, long-term, continuous use,” he said in a TikTok video
If there is any butt product on the market that can be safely used under the eye, according to Idriss it’s “diaper rash cream/butt paste.”
Unlike hemorrhoid creams, these are “soothing and calming because [they have] zinc oxide.”
Her favorite? Triple Paste, which contains 12% zinc oxide, cornstarch and oat kernel extract.
Supposedly, Triple Paste can be used all over the skin because “The cornstarch is beneficial for your pores if you are dry, but get a bit oily or acne-prone in your T-zone,” she told Yahoo Life.
“Oat kernel extract is also anti-inflammatory and a natural humectant to help attract moisture to your skin,” she continued.
When it comes to trying any hack on social media, always proceed with caution and speak with a doctor first.
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