Doctors are urging beauty fans not to apply erection creams to their mouths after one TikToker said that it can make lips look bigger.
In December, TikTok user Jerry Mal shared a viral video in which he slathered an erectile dysfunction cream all over his lips in an effort to plump his pout — and was pleasantly surprised to see lusher lips once he wiped it off.
But several doctors have since warned that this may not be safe, especially since the cream can be accidentally ingested.
Testing it out: TikTok user Jerry Mal shared a video of himself slathering his lips with erection cream in an effort to make his lips plumper
Results: He was impressed with the results, saying his lips were definitely bigger (pictured left before, right after)
In the original video, which has over 3.5 million views, Jerry said he was inspired to experiment with the erection cream after seeing it on TV.
‘Basically, I saw a movie where a girl put erection cream all over her lips and it made them really big, so I wanted to try it. I forgot what the movie was called, but here we go,’ he said.
Commenters have since identified the film as A Nice Girl Like You starring Lucy Hale.
Trying it out, Jerry opened his mouth and applied an unnamed French erection cream liberally to his lips.
‘It kind of tingles. It doesn’t feel terrible, but we’ll see,’ he said.
After five minutes, the cream was still on and Jerry was happy to see that his lips already looked bigger, putting his face up to the camera to show them off.
He intended to wait an additional five minutes, but after three more he decided to wipe the cream off because it was ‘burning really bad.’
Inspo: Jerry was inspired by the film A Nice Girl Like You starring Lucy Hale
How it works: Most topical erectile dysfunction medications are vasodilators, which widen the blood vessels and increase blood flow
Cosmetics: Lip-plumping glosses work the same way, using irritants like capsaicin to increase blood flow — but they’re formulated for use on the mouth
Impressed: He clearly liked the method and has used it again since his original video
After cleaning off his lips, Jerry showed off his noticeably-plumper pout.
‘I kinda like it, I’m not gonna lie,’ he said.
Scientifically, it makes sense that an erection cream would make lips plumper. Most topical erectile dysfunction medications are vasodilators, which widen the blood vessels and increase blood flow. More blood in the lips — or penis — makes them grow.
In fact, most lip-plumping glosses work the same way, using irritants like capsaicin to increase blood flow.
But those lip plumpers are especially formulated to be used on the mouth.
Soon after Jerry’s video went viral, a TikTok dermatologist who goes by Derm Doctor shared a warning that it’s not the best method for bigger lips.
‘I don’t know exactly which cream is being used in the video, but all erection creams work by using vasodilation, which increases blood flow to a given area,’ he explained.
Don’t do it, girl! TikTok dermatologist Derm Doctor warned that it’s not safe if it’s ingested
‘Increased blood flow will lead to swelling of the area. It takes about 15 minutes to work and it lasts for about an hour. So, all the benefits of plumping will be completely temporary.
‘Also, these creams were not made to be ingested or consumed by mouth and this probably not safe if it’s ingested. It does work, but I would not recommend it,’ he said.
Meanwhile, Dr. Ross Perry, GP and Medical Director of Cosmedics, shared an even firmer warning.
‘Putting erection cream on your lips in a bid for a fuller pout is utterly ridiculous and can be extremely dangerous for a number of reasons,’ he told Metro.
‘Individuals trying this could suffer an allergic reaction such as stinging, soreness, blisters and uncomfortable swelling.
‘Other side effects from the absorption of the cream as it goes into the body can create headaches, blood pressure problems, and even possible heart problems,’ he said.