Will the Skims face wrap snatch your chin? Here's what experts say
Some medical professionals can't seem to wrap their heads around the hype of the latest Skims release.
Kim Kardashian's well-known shapewear brand released a $48 now sold out "Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap" that features "collagen yarns for ultra-soft support," targeting those who have an elaborate morning shed routine.
In an Instagram story, the reality television star and businesswoman reportedly praised the conversation starter product as a "necessity," saying that it "just snatches your little chinny chin chin."
Touted as Skims' "first-ever face innovation," it went viral online, prompting a wave of plastic surgeons to chime in on social media with criticisms on its effectiveness, encouraging people to think twice before purchasing.
Doctors argued that consumers might not get the results they are hoping for with the popular beauty hack.
Will it snatch your chin for long? Experts say no.
Dr. Vinod Chopra, based in Fairfax, Virginia, is one of the many surgeons who voiced his opinion on TikTok. He told Paste BN that a face wrap would typically be recommended to his patients after they underwent specific surgeries like a neck liposuction, a neck lift, buccal fat pad removal, or a face lift.
"The best use of a product like this would be post-surgical to help reduce swelling and to help maintain the shape of a surgical result," Chopra stated. "For common day-to-day use, I think that as you use something like this, it's going to decrease swelling or fluid in the area secondary to the compression itself, but it's not going to have a long-lasting effect."
Dr. Sarmela Sunder agreed. She explained that the face wrap could be effective if used before an outing: "Similar to a jade roller or a gua sha tool, you can do it as you're getting ready for an event or the night before, and I think it'll have some great results for the day."
"For people that are considering using it as a treatment or as a substitute for a facelift or a skin tightening device, they're just going to be misled," said the facial plastic surgeon located in Beverly Hills, California.
Sunder also said the face wrap and similar products are not ideal for everyone, raising concerns about consumers with TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) and sensitive or acne-prone skin.
"People with TMJ issues, jaw alignment issues, wearing a garment like this long term can cause upward pressure on the TMJ joint," Sunder explained. "The other thing that we can see is skin irritation. People can break out from the fabric. There can be true irritation abrasions from the garment itself."
The desire for a contoured, sculpted look is growing
Skims' take on the face wrap comes amid a rise in plastic surgeries and enhancements with preventative aesthetic procedures, particularly among Gen Z. For instance, facial contouring has become popular as a result of social media.
"An aesthetically balanced, pleasing face, jawline, and neckline is something that everyone strives for, and everyone wants to look great and feel great," Chopra said. "Doing treatments and using products that have proven benefits is a great thing to do. But, I don't necessarily think that people should spend their hard-earned dollars on treatments that aren't going to give them any clinical, long-term benefit."
Experts have warned about the social connection between the glossy, highly edited online culture and surgeries, as well as the monumental role celebrities play in unrealistic beauty standards and desirability politics, especially in marketing.
The face wrap product sold at a company like Skims could "send this message to young women that what is desirable is to have a thin, V-line face, which I think is perhaps a Eurocentric beauty aesthetic," stated Sunder, who is also the mother of a teenage daughter.
"I think it's a little problematic that it might be reaching an audience that we don't want to send that message to, and capitalizing on women's insecurities and reinforcing these narrow beauty ideals that are tied to these 'snatched' facial features."
Other alternatives, dupes
Chopra and Sunder suggest that consumers research before committing to any treatment, noting that there are effective non-surgical procedures that yield better results for skin rejuvenation than using face wraps.
Other options include radio frequency skin tightening, microneedling, and CO2 laser resurfacing.
"Then just regular skin health, like good medical-grade skin care, using sunscreen with the appropriate SPF," Chopra added.
Although some consumers might want to splurge for the Skims label, there are face wrap dupes on Amazon as low as $8.99: "If the result is for compression, then I don't think you need to spend $48 on it. There are a lot of great alternatives that are less expensive," he continued.
Skims did not respond to Paste BN's request for comment.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for Paste BN. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.