Young women have been left disfigured after taking part in a worrying TikTok beauty trend. The trend, which is believed to have been inspired in part by Meghan Markle's natural freckles, has seen people tattooing their faces to achieve the same look.
Experts have now issued warnings to users of the video-sharing platform after those taking part in the trend were left needing medical treatment. Some young women have also been left with permanent scarring and temporary blindness after injecting ink into their own faces.
While many people who have natural freckles aren't always keen on them the look has become increasingly popular with some believing it makes them look younger. As a result beauty professionals, who have long offered tattooing eyebrows as part of their services, are now turning to freckles.
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However many TikTok users are choosing to do it themselves with some horrific consequences. Some of those who have tried to give themselves the faux-freckle look have ended up spending hundreds of pounds on getting them removed after botched jobs.
One person who knows this better than most is Tilly Whitfeld whose DIY freckle job left her with permanent scarring across her face. The 22-year-old, who has more than 130,000 followers on TikTok and is best known for being a housemate on Big Brother Australia, tried to give herself freckles using an at-home acupuncture treatment after copying a video she saw on the site.
However she was hospitalised with severe burns as the brown tattoo ink that she bought from eBay contained high levels of lead. She also temporarily lost vision in one eye following the treatment. Despite spending more than £8,500 to try and fix her burnt face she still has permanent scarring on her cheeks.
After trying laser removal for her botched tattoos Tilly uploaded a video to TikTok to show her followers the results. In the video she explains: "This is the laser removal for my tattoos. It's fully bruised and there are blood blisters everywhere. Don't tattoo your face – don't do anything to your face.”
Clearly regretting her decision, which has left her with scarring deep below her skin, in another video she tells her followers: "This is to anyone thinking of getting freckles tattooed on their face – don't". In another, she says the treatment was "totally worth it" before adding: "#sarcasm".
Make-up specialist Sian Dellar told MailOnline the trend was most popular with people aged between 18 and 25. She added: “There was a time when people wanted to hide their freckles but now people really want them and it was Meghan Markle who sparked the demand."
The concerning trend, which has led to more and more cases like Tilly's, has prompted some beauty experts to issue warnings with some cautioning that using non-sterilised needles runs the risk of contracting HIV. Laura Kay, a make-up artist based in London, told MailOnline: “I wouldn’t advise that you get tattoo freckles done.
She added: "People who do tattoos at home without a licence are known as scratchers and that’s not legal. Tattoo artists must have a licence and DIY tattoos pose a real risk of HIV or hepatitis.”
