When’s the last time you met someone whose life was changed by a trick they saw on Instagram? We’re gonna go ahead and guess never. Which is surprising, considering every Instagram feed is consistently inundated with a billion beauty “hacks” to get rid of acne, fix dark spots, and turn you into a magical, beauty unicorn.

The problem is that the majority—like, almost all—of these tricks are not only created out of the sky by vloggers and influencers with no medical backgrounds, but are also incredibly, incredibly harmful for your skin, resulting in rashes, burns, and even scarring.

So rather than let you experiment with another potentially face-destroying DIY this week, we chatted with Yale University dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, to find out why, exactly, these ultra-popular hacks aren’t worth trying at home.

1. The Hack: Using dental floss to extract blackheads

DIY trick using disposable floss picks and mouthwash. This trick helps to extract whiteheads and blackheads. This hack definitely worksIf you try it, tag mAll you need is a hot towel, floss pick, and and place it in hot water. Take the towel out and make sure it isn’t too hot. Also, make sure that the area is clean and place the towel on the problem area so that the heat will open up the pores. Do this for about 5 mins or disposable floss pick and drag it in a scraping motion. When finished, rinse the area with a mild a toner (you can use rose water, mouthwash, or your regular toner.) If you have really sensitive skin don't use mouthwash or do a patch test sure to moisturize your nose after applying the toner. Tag your bestie SNAPCHAT: A_LLURE7 @hudabeauty @monakattan @alyakattan #hudabeauty #hairmakeupdiary #facemask #skincare #makeuptutorial #fashionarttut #laurag_143 #sukhimann_ #instadaily #instalike #instamood #instafashion #chico #fashion #instamakeup #indianvlogger #indianblogger #desibeautyblog #hudabeauty #allmordernmakeup #melformakeup #hypnaughtymakeup #inssta_makeup #makeupfanatic1 #brian_champagne #makeuptutorial #shimycatsmua #fakeupfix #associationofbeauty #hairmakeupdiary #liveglam #laurag_143 #brian_champagne

A post shared by Sukhi Mann (@sukhimann_) on Apr 26, 2017 at 11:19am PDT

THE TRUTH:

Sorry, but digging, scraping, and sliding a minty piece of floss down your nose isn’t the magical key to getting rid of blackheads. Sure, it’ll take off whatever minuscule layer or natural face oils and dead skin cells that’s already chilling on your nose (which any good face cleanser can do, too) but “this hack can also leave little stripes of purpura—AKA small, bleeding blood vessels—down your nose,” says Dr. Gohara. “Imagine a bunch of striped, purple hickies front and centre on your face; skip it and leave extractions to your dermatologist.”

2. The Hack: Using deodorant as a face primer

Deodorant & bio oil?! Before any accusations this is a brand new deodorant I bought Putting a stick of deodorant on your face may sound ridiculous, but the powdery ingredients can help mattify the face. Also, some natural deodorants include mineral salts that can help dry out zits and bacteria-fighting ingredients that can also curb breakouts. Bio oil- helps diminish the appearance of scars and also helps even out skin tone @clinique 2-1 foundation shade buttermilk @lagirlcosmetics beautiful bronze to contour classic ivory & porcelain mixed for concealer and highlight @benefitcosmetics hola bronzer @anastasiabeverlyhills glow kit that glow @urbandecaycosmetics naked lip pencil & back talk lipstick from there new vice lipstick & liner collection @hudabeauty & @shophudabeauty lashes in Carmen

A post shared by Shabnam H. Khawja (@s_hossine) on May 11, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT

THE TRUTH:

It sounds logical, right? Deodorant keeps your armpits matte and dry, so it should do the same for your face, yes? Except, oh, wait—your face isn’t an armpit. “Deodorant contains aluminum salts and strong fragrances that can be super irritating to your face, causing red, flaky patches and inflaming acne and bumps,” says Dr. Gohara, noting that “excess dryness on the face is also a mess waiting to happen” for your skin barrier. “Under no circumstance would I advise this; stick with the real deal when it comes to primer, and leave the antiperspirant for your pits.”

3. The Hack: Using nail polish to cover cold sores

How to deal with cold sores One of my sweet followers suggested I use clear nail polish on my cold sore since no lipstick will stick to that stubborn uckyness . It actually works, but I wouldn't do it unless I'm really desperate after all it is nail polish Just a dab will do the trick (of course my camera stop recording the after part ) @gerardcosmetics Madison Ave lipgloss #howtomanagecoldsores #coldsores #tipoftheday #beautytip #dressyourfacelive #dyf #dyfarmy #dyflive #dressyourface #tutorial #makeupvideo #contour #tbt #blogger #makegirlz #glamrezy #brian_champagne #dressyourface #fiercesociety, #wakeupandmakeup, #anastasiabeverlyhills #Hudabeauty #monakattan #makeuptutorialsx0x #makeupbymario #undiscovered_muas #samerkhouzami #vegas_nay @makeupvideoss @hudabeauty @undiscovered_muas @dressyourface @instagram @makeuptutorialsx0x @nyxcanada @universalhairandmakeup @allmodernmakeup @anastasiabeverlyhills @fiercesociety @howto.makeup @makegirlz @featuring_mua @fabulous_makeupartists @sephora @lipstutorial @makeuptutorial @glambymaryam

A post shared by A R Z O (@oliveskinbeauty) on Feb 18, 2016 at 5:41am PST

THE TRUTH:

Yes, even we will admit that this video looks incredibly convincing, especially since anyone who has dealt with cold sores knows the frustration that is covering them up. But don’t fall for it: “According to the American Contact Dermatitis Society, nail polish is one of the most common allergens we could come in contact with,” says Dr. Gohara.

“Also remember that cold sores are herpes—yes, herpes—which are a transmissible virus, meaning that baby ain’t going anywhere fast. A bad scenario is having a cold sore on your lip, but a worse scenario is having a cold sore on your lip in addition to and a massive allergic reaction to the clear nail polish.” And that’s not even taking into account how easy it is to re-infect yourself: “You shouldn’t be using lipstick on a cold sore unless you want to have herpes all over again, since that virus now lives within that tube,” she says.

4. The Hack: Using wasabi as a spot treatment

HOW TO GET RID OF WHITEHEADS IN LESS THAN 2 MINUTES WITHOUT POPPING THEM! no more acne, no big monstrous pimples, no clusters of pimples – just smooth pimple free skin! ——great for men too who get whiteheads from shaving facial hair All you need is WASABI!Apply the wasabi with a qtip to a cleansed face ‼️USE AS A SPOT TREATMENT ONLY to your whiteheads and leave on for NO MORE THAN 2 MINS – DO NOT apply this on your entire face. Spicy ingredients like wasabi, cayenne, chilli pepper etc ARE NOT meant for your entire face as a mask. They can cause unnecessary pain if you use it all over, and can actually do more harm than good. I mean would you eat a spoon full of spice or just add a tiny bit for some flavour? Same concept applies when you use it topically. Theyre ONLY good for spot treatments, just like your “regular" acne spot treatments. ‼Wipe off with a clean qtip WASH your face after – no cleanser the whitehead will be GONE and it will NOT turn into a big annoying pimple, and it wont spread into more pimples (which whiteheads can tend to do) this does STING. It gets red. thats normal. its doing its job. If you have extremely sensitive skin then wipe off after 20-30 seconds M NOT CRAZY! IT WORKS! HERES WHY: -For my sushi lovers.. do you know why wasabi is served with sushi? aside from being delicious? Its because its an ANTIBACTERIAL (for the raw fish) and also a pimples worst enemy!! -JAM packed with VITAMIN C, CALCIUM, POTASSIUM, and PHYTOCHEMICALS that can help strengthen antioxidants in your body -it stimulates and increases circulation in your skin, so when you apply it topically it helps instantly heal whiteheads and generate clear, soft, smooth, healthy skin. -promotes oxygenation of cell tissues = healthy tissues = healthy beautiful skin PS. i use this as a lip plumper too – check out the demo video on my feed <3 TAG A FRIEND WHO COULD USE THIS and dont forget to LIKE THIS VIDEO TO HELP A SIS OUT FAM! Disclaimer: As with any skin care regimen, always do a test patch first to see if your skin is allergic to any of the ingredients.

A post shared by Farah D (@farahdhukai) on Dec 18, 2016 at 8:04pm PST

THE TRUTH:

We’re all about natural acne treatments (what up, tea tree oil), but not when they come as a side in your lunch order. “There are absolutely no anti-inflammatory properties of wasabi—none, zip, zilch, zero,” says a supremely frustrated Dr. Gohara. “I want to see the science; show me the science.”

And though the vlogger does warn against keeping the wasabi on for longer than two minutes, “there is no amount of time that this is advisable or safe; wasabi can literally burn your skin,” says Dr. Gohara. “What goes on sushi belongs in your mouth, not the rest of your face.”

5. The Hack: Using lemon and baking soda to brighten armpits

THE TRUTH:

Congrats! You’ve essentially created a mixture that can burn through the depths of your skin. Yay! “Not only can scrubbing your skin with sugar cause micro tears and irritation, but the combination of lemon, which is super acidic on the pH scale, and baking soda, which is super basic, will severely irritate your skin and even lead to burns,” says Dr. Gohara. “But sure, if you burn a hole through your skin, I guess it will get rid of discoloration.”

Translation: Leave this hack and all of the other beauty “hacks” in your newsfeed where they belong, and trust in doctor-approved methods, instead.

H/T Cosmo UK