Teens Attempt DIY Kylie Jenner Pout With Potentially Dangerous Results
— -- Kylie Jenner's famously oversize pout are inspiring teens to pucker up for a new viral challenge -- with potentially dangerous results.
Under the hashtag #kyliejennerchallenge, teens and young adults are posting pictures and videos of their attempts to get the full lips that Jenner has become famous for.
While Jenner has maintained her extra large pout is thanks to make-up, teens and young adults taking part in the challenge are shown sucking on a cup or glass to improve their pout. By creating a vacuum seal the lips become plumped up with fluid, creating an oversize pout and in some cases the result is grotesque looking lips surrounded by some bruising.
Dr. Barney Kenet, a dermatologist at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan, said the vacuum pulls fluid into the lips, which are more delicate than other tissues. The result ends up being gargantuan lips complete with some bruising where blood is pulled to the surface of the skin.
"It would be very short-lived and it wouldn't last for the evening," Kenet said of the effect, though he noted that the bruising can linger for another 10 days. "Once you remove the pressure it's going to [dissipate]."
Before the current hashtag-fueled trend, Kenet said he typically saw young children do this by accident when they're playing.
"That's exactly the same that little kids do with the sippy cups," said Kenet. "It's not a smart idea to monkey with your lips that way."
Kenet said the challenge could actually lead to lasting problems for anyone who decides they want their morning routine to include some DIY lip plumping.
"Repeated attempts can lead to some potential deformity," he said. "The tissue is more delicate than other areas of the body. It can create negative pressure or dilate the vein."
Kenet said as the fluid dissipates it's possible that the lips won't shrink back to their normal state. He also pointed out that teenagers or young adults who are posting the videos usually have naturally full lips without any extra help.
As for the trend toward fuller lips, Kenet said, "I think the stuff you used to see with women you now you see in teens," in terms of idealized beauty.
"Why go from something that's naturally beautiful to a little grotesque?" he said.
A representative for Kylie Jenner did not respond to a request for comment by ABC News on the hashtag trend.
On Twitter, Kylie Jenner skirted around the controversy. The 17-year-old said she doesn't want girls to "think this is the way they should look," and instead said teens and young adults should "experiment."
