As lip suction devices take over social media, inspired by Kylie Jenner, we're left wondering...well...why?
Never underestimate the power of social media to take a random item like a lip suction device and whip up a bizarre new selfie trend.
In a bid to achieve fuller lips and an enviable pout like Kardashian sister Kylie Jenner, many young women and men are experimenting with a new suction device in a bid to super-size their lips.
Lip augmentation it hardly a new thing and, believe it or not, the bee stung look wasn't kick-started with Angelina Jolie and Kylie Jenner. From the ancient Japanese geishas who rounded their bottom lips in the style of a rosebud to the 1920s flapper girls inspired by Clara Bow's cupid bow mouth, beauty has been continually defined throughout history by a fuller lip. In fact, in 1900, surgeons even tried to inject paraffin into lips with worrying results.
But whilst the lip suction device now trending on Twitter - using the hashtag #KylieJennerChallenge - is less invasive than cosmetic surgery, it isn't without its risks.
Worringly, a lot of the selfies look really quite painful with 'cupping marks' and bruising transforming many plumped-up mouths into a horrifying advert in how not to challenge your lips.
With many teens substituting the official lip suction device with a glass or jar, increasing the blood flow to the lips and making them swell to double their size, it's anyone's guess as to why this bizarre DIY trend has hijacked social media in recent days.
What we do know is that the recent influx of injured, brusied and disfigured mouths on Twitter and Instagram have got us worried about it.
As it turns out, Kylie Jenner is worried too. Responding to the lip-plumping craze in her name, she tweeted yesterday:
'I'm not here to try & encourage people/young girls to look like me or to think this is the way they should look.
'I want to encourage people/young girls like me to be YOURSELF & not be afraid to experiment w your look.'
Let's hope her fans listen...
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