Tooth gems, mewing, mouth tape, veneers … the viral nature of TikTok allows trend cycles to make waves across the internet in an incredibly short amount of time. In our increasingly health and beauty-conscious society, the concept of “wellness” is a linchpin for the app. One of the latest popular wellness trends involves something called the “morning shed.” While this trend is mostly harmless, it still has the potential to encourage unsafe practices that may affect users’ sleep and oral health.
What is the “morning shed” trend on TikTok?”
“Morning shed” videos consist of TikTok users, typically Gen Z and Millennial females, removing (or shedding) the excessive amount of beauty products applied to their face before bed.1 The idea behind this is that “going to bed ugly” (i.e., proactively using products designed to improve health and cosmetic appearance) will make you “wake up pretty” after they work their magic overnight. Followers of this trend typically remove the mouth and face tape, eye masks, chin straps, and anti-aging patches they applied before going to sleep.
But is this overkill? Does it even work? Can it be dangerous to sleep with so many objects on your face?
Affects of mouth taping and chin straps on oral health
Chin straps
While many tout that wearing a chin strap to bed not only sharpens the jawline but improves snoring, sleep apnea, and bruxism, this is not the case. Despite this, some users believe the tight fabric of the straps that hold the skin in a certain position for a prolonged period of time will make the body naturally conform to that shape. There is currently no scientific research to support this.
According to Dr. Daniel Barrett, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills: “I don’t think wearing this [chin strap] long term is actually going to do anything for your neckline. I’ve never seen any studies, there’s no evidence to back this up, that wearing this is going to help with anything.”2
Furthermore, a report published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine revealed out of 26 study participants, chin straps offered no improvement in any measure when it came to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).3 The study tracked the participants’ sleep apnea during different stages of sleep-like the rapid eye movement (REM) stage-as well as in different positions-like being supine on one’s back-in the hopes that chin straps would deliver relief for those who develop apnea limited to these situations. Unfortunately, chin straps did not alleviate their symptoms.
Wendy Troxel, sleep expert at RAND Corporation, also says chin straps cannot effectively treat snoring or bruxism, either.2
Mouth tape
The benefits of mouth tape are a mixed bag; even beyond the “morning shed” trend, many people tape their mouths to encourage their body to breathe through the nasal passageways while they sleep.
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