New TikTok Trend Has Men Intentionally Breaking Bones In Their Faces

When it comes feeling better about how you look, some people turn to plastic surgery, while others opt for injectables like Botox, but not everyone can afford those options, especially teens. Well now, a new TikTok trend is offering those folks an option, but it's both absurd and incredibly dangerous.

It's called #bonesmashing and has people, mostly young men, breaking the bones in their face to try to give themselves a more chiseled jawline. Those who take part, hit their cheekbones and jawbones with a hard object, typically a hammer, in an effort to cause micro-fractures that, when they heal, create a more attractive shape.

The hashtag has over 261 million views on TikTok, but many are of videos discouraging the practice, like the one posted by plastic surgeon Dr. Prem Tripathi. He starts his video stating, "I honestly never thought I’d have to come on here and say this, but please don't intentionally break the bones in your face," before explaining how those bones might not heal correctly and can actually cause disfiguration.

He also advocates against other so-called methods for reshaping your jawline, like taping your mouth shut or chewing on jaw toners, which can actually injure your jaw joint. Tripathi concludes, "If you’re not given the genetics to have a jawline like this, unfortunately, you have to see a professional."

Those in favor of the practice cite Wolff's Law, a theory from a 19th century surgeon who said that bones continue to grow during one's life and remodel themselves in response to stress. He added that applying force to your bones can increase how quickly the bones remodel themselves and get stronger. Critics call the bone smashing trend an oversimplification of that and point out Wolff is referring more towards the benefits of weight-lifting on bones, not breaking bones. They also say bone smashing can cause severe lifelong issues.

You might be surprised that this is actually even a thing but according to the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, plastic surgeons have seen a huge spike in clients under the age of 30, so there is a high demand for altering one's appearance.