A TEENAGER has condemned a disturbing new craze where people suck shot glasses to blow up their lips to double their size which has been hitting the internet.
The reportedly painful “Kylie Jenner Challenge” works by using the airlock created to increase blood flow to the lips.
The aim is to emulate the celebrity and model’s bee-stung pout.
However, for many this goes too far, leaving their mouths bruised, cut and bleeding.
Hannah Walker, from Preston Park, Brighton, has criticised the craze, saying it is hurtful and upsetting for people like herself who suffer from a rare condition that can lead to cut and swollen lips.
Ms Walker, 23, has oro-facial granulomatosis, (OFG) which is particularly common in children and young adults.
It affects the mouth and lips, causing extreme pain, damage and disfigurement and can be very embarrassing for its sufferers.
Ms Walker also suffers from coeliac disease and Crohn’s Disease, which has led to various hospital stays and also means her diet is very restricted.
However, about a year ago she developed OFG, a condition said to be linked to her Crohn’s.
The student said: “I am lucky in that I have it very mildly and can generally control it through my diet.
“However, when it flares up I cannot talk, smile or eat without pain. When I open my mouth even a crack, blood starts to trickle down my face and it causes great pain, making most aspects of life difficult and uncomfortable.
“It is bad enough having Crohn’s of my intestines, but at least that is hidden beneath my skin. OFG is an incredibly obvious condition and makes me very self-conscious.
“It can be devastating to a sufferer’s self-esteem and cause bullying and loneliness.
“So when they see people laughing and joking about this challenge and mocking each other about how they look, it can be extremely hurtful.”
Ms Walker said the craze was making her anxieties over her health conditions increase.
She said: “To see people mutilate their own faces for a bit of fun, when people like me have no choice over our destroyed mouths, is very sad indeed.
“I truly believe that more recognition and awareness should be given to rare conditions like OFG, especially when people are at risk of both damaging themselves and hurting vulnerable people for the sake of an internet craze.”
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