© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Actor Tamannaah Bhatia has revealed her secret hack to heal her pimples and skin breakouts. In a recent podcast of Lallantop, she said that all she did was apply spit on the affected skin. She even claimed that her saliva therapy had worked for her through the years and that the early morning blob after waking up can dry out her acne.
Overruling this possibility, Dr Rashmi Sharma, clinical dermatologist at Fortis, Vasant Kunj, Delhi, says, “This is clinically not possible. When celebrities legitimise such untested therapies by speaking about them on a public forum, then a lot of people end up following them without understanding the science. No dermatologist would ever endorse such a therapy.” Listen in.
The first misconception is that saliva is sterile because it comes from your own oral cavity. It isn’t. Besides, it all depends on individual oral hygiene. In fact, saliva contains bacteria and other micro-organisms, some of which may not be beneficial or even harmful to the skin. If you have a skin breakout, then the top layer of the skin is damaged anyway. Applying saliva to the broken skin can introduce these pathogens to the inner layers and potentially lead to infections. That’s the reason that children have what we call the drool rash. The excess saliva on their skin leads to red blotches.
Saliva contains enzymes and has a somewhat acidic pH, which can cause irritation or dryness, especially on sensitive skin. The enzymes in the saliva can break down lipids and proteins in the skin, which form a protective layer. Combined with constant wetness, it can irritate and weaken the skin barrier. This can make the skin more vulnerable to damage.
Everybody has a different skin type. So some people might be sensitive or allergic to components in saliva, leading to skin reactions. Sometimes, saliva can even trigger a secondary infection.
There is lack of scientific evidence to support the claim that saliva can effectively treat acne or other skin conditions. Or that early morning saliva is effective. Saliva, on its own, does have anti-inflammatory properties. But they are just enough to deal with the oral activity and are not high enough to have a significant impact on systemic inflammation.
Many of them apply neem, toothpaste, turmeric paste, even vinegar. The fact that they have to come to the dermatologist shows that these alternative therapies do not work on them.
Established acne treatments are backed by scientific research and are much more effective and reliable than relying on saliva. Just make sure that you consult a certified dermatologist and take the drugs or topical creams as advised. Do not get adventurous about dosage.
