Reality television star, Kylie Jenner, is known for her plump lips. Jenner recently started the lip trend among teens, although the trend has always been popular among Hollywood stars such as Angelina Jolie and Scarlett Johansson.
“I’m not here to try and encourage people and young girls to look like me or to think this is the way they should look. I want to encourage people and young girls like me to be yourself and not be afraid to experiment with your look,” Jenner said via Twitter.
The challenge involves teens using shot glasses, water bottles or pill bottles. They place the object to their mouth and suck all of the air out of it, creating a suction. This swells up the lips.
The swelling is not always temporary. Lips may stay swollen for 10 to 14 days. Dermatologic surgeon, Dr. Dendy Engelman told Seventeen Magazine, “Not only can significant pain, swelling and bruising result from these suction techniques, but there is potential risk for scarring and permanent disfigurement with repeated attempts.”
When suctioning the lips, blood fills up, releasing chemicals. The lips may become infected, lose all sensation and could turn blue.
Teens have been doing the challenge and posting their reactions to social media. Many of the attempts to look like Kylie Jenner have failed and have permanently damaged their lips.
One man even lost a portion of his lip. A piece broke off when his shot glass broke.
Safety is not the only concern. Jordan Mickle, theater major at Winthrop University said that he enjoys Kylie Jenner as a celebrity, but that this challenge scares him.
“I wonder if Kylie Jenner is perpetuating black culture as a stereotype or if this is really her,” Mickle said. “I think it shows that us Americans have turned black features as a commodity for pop culture and white audiences.”
This is not the first time Jenner has been accused of being racist. She recently posted pictures on Instagram of herself in dark body paint. Many claim she may have been trying to use Blackface, a form of makeup used to make fun of African Americans in the 19th century.
Sophomore theater major Nehemiah Hope said that he feels like that she’s trying to copy black culture.
“Her and her family are very influenced by black culture because they feel like it’s a gimmick,” Hope said. “They see it as a trend and not as racist.”
The Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge is not the first internet craze to spread throughout social media. Over the past few years, people have also witnessed the Cinnamon Challenge, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and the Set Yourself on Fire Challenge.
“Teens do challenges because they are young,” Hope said. “Teenagers are sheep and follow whatever is trending at the time because whatever famous people do is correct.”