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Experts urge people to stop following TikTok advice of pointing your private parts towards the sun

Experts urge people to stop following TikTok advice of pointing your private parts towards the sun

'Perineum sunning' is the latest wellness practice to take social media by storm.

The latest TikTok trend has seen a mass number of users strip off in public and point their private bits up towards the sun in order to increase the strength of those body parts.

However, despite the social media experts advocating for the benefits of ‘sunning your holes’, real experts have warned against the practice.

Perineum sunning is the latest wellness practice to take TikTok by storm.

A person lies on their back or gets in the downward dog pose, spreads their legs wide in the air and exposes their nether regions to the sun.

The idea is to boost vitamin D intake in that area and apparently receive an energy boost to improve concentration, creativity, and sleep.

The hashtag #perineumsunning has been blowing up on TikTok with videos such as Pauly Long’s receiving 8.5 million views.

The caption of the video read: “Think about it... why would you not sun the most vital area of your body? The more you hide your body part from the sun, the weaker it will be."

The answer to his ‘why not?’ - as with any overexposure to the sun, it opens you up to an increased risk of skin cancer. 

TikTok dermatologist Dr Dustin Portlea reacted to Long’s video, saying: “I’ve literally removed skin cancers from that area… you don’t want no part of cancer in that area.”

Meanwhile, Dr Diana Gall told Insider: “Yes, practising mindfulness and meditation, and getting your dose of Vitamin D, is beneficial for mental and physical health, but you don't need to damage your skin in the process from sun exposure."

Dr Stephanie Ooi also agrees and took aim at the social media trend.

She told Insider: “This is a classic example of social media medical misinformation which in some cases can be damaging or dangerous." 

The facts haven’t stopped many influencers from banging on about the importance of tanning your butthole. 

Long has maintained in subsequent videos that he practises perineum sunning for ‘10-15 minutes a day’ and bangs on bout the ‘natural energy’ that helps with mental health and lowers blood pressure.

It’s not the first time the trend has had its time in the sun.

Back in 2020 a creator by the name of @jenn_dances4fun made the claim that ‘30 seconds of perineum sunning is equivalent to walking around in the sun with your clothes on all day long’.

She later claimed the statement was a ‘joke’.

The trend should most certainly stay a joke.

Featured Image Credit: Sergey Borisov / Alamy. @naeabanks/TikTok.

Topics: Science, TikTok, Health, Mental Health