Health experts warn that the practice can leave the skin vulnerable to infections.
A TikTok user has gone viral for her unconventional hair removal ‘trick’ which involves using sandpaper on the skin. A huge number of medical experts, however, have warned people not to try it out, citing the risk of infection, abrasion, sores and burns.
In her first TikTok, Jules revealed that she picked up the idea of shaving with sandpaper from an accountant she watched on the platform.
She went on to demonstrate how she ‘shaves’ her legs with 600 grit sandpaper by doing 10 circles in one direction over a patch of skin and 10 circles the other way.
“I did it,” she says. “My skin is so soft. It’s awesome and it works.”
Jules added: “I’ve been using a frickin’ razor this whole time.”
The video quickly attracted half a million views.
A number of health experts, however, have issued warnings over the use of sandpaper on the skin.
Hussain Abdeh, the clinical director and superintendent at Medicine Direct spoke to Entertainment Daily about the danger of the practice.
“Firstly, sanding away the hairs on your legs will only remove hair on the surface of the skin, which means that it is no more effective than shaving your legs with a razor.
“However, if you use sandpaper, it is highly likely that you will also remove a significant amount of skin with the hairs.
“This can cause grazes and cuts, which aside from being very unsightly, also leaves your skin very vulnerable to infections.”
Abdeh added that many people assume incorrectly that sandpaper exfoliates the skin.
“It can leave sores and can also cause hyperpigmentation if the area of skin is burned as a result of having such a harsh abrasion being rubbed up against it.”
