Weird Tip: Rubbing your face with a potato dries up oily skin. -- Michele via Facebook
Expert answer: "False, nothing in a potato reduces sebum content," which is part of the oil that coats the skin and causes acne, says Dr. Sadick.
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Hair growth
Weird Tip: Using hot pepper sauce on your roots will help hair grow. -- Seana via Facbook
Expert answer: This is a popular rumor, says Fris. "Cayenne pepper has been used in at-home remedies for centuries. They say that it helps improve blood circulation to the scalp, through oral ingestion or by applying at the root. If you are going to try this treatment, you need to apply the [pepper sauce] all over the scalp," he advises. But "the jury is still out on this one -- I have yet to come across anyone who has seen results from this treatment," he says. While Eugene Toye, stylist at the Rita Hazan Salon, says "hot pepper sauce is great for food, NOTHING ELSE!"
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Pimples
Weird Tip: Toothpaste applied to a pimple overnight will get rid of it. -- Jennifer via Facebook.
Expert answer: Dr. Sadick says this is "true," as it "may have a drying effect," on the skin. But it's important to remember that it has to be plain white toothpaste (no gels) and should be used only as a temporary spot treatment.
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Puffy eyes
Weird Tip: Hemorrhoid cream [applied] under the eyes reduces puffiness. -- Tori via Facebook
Expert answer: This old-school trick you likely heard from your mother actually does work, says Dr. Sadick. It "may shrink them," as it is made with "anti-inflammatory agents," which can temporarily reduce puff.
Throughout our lives we're constantly dished advice. We're told what to do, and not do in order to save money, lose weight, look younger, get a great job, find a husband etc., etc.
Once we hear advice, whether we actually heed it or not, we usually pass it on to someone else. Then, they do the same. Until suddenly, one day, everyone around you starts to believe that you have to swear off carbs to lose weight or apply toothpaste to a pimple in order for it to magically vanish overnight.
We as women hear tons of weird DIY beauty tips that have been passed down from our mothers, girlfriends or even from the woman sitting next to us at the nail salon. But, hearing so much advice leaves us beauty enthusiasts of the world wondering: Do these wacky beauty tips actually work? And even though I might have tried a tip to test its legitimacy, have I just convinced myself that I saw results because I've been told so many times that I should (much like the placebo effect)? Or is there verifiable evidence from beauty experts that confirms the effectiveness of that weird thing your Aunt Meryl told you to do to fight frizz?
To answer that last question -- yes, now there is. We compiled from our Facebook page some of the weirdest and most random beauty tips you've heard and asked beauty experts to weigh in on their legitimacy. Here they share whether these tips actually do work, or if they are totally bogus.
