Dermatologist Shares What Will Actually Happen If You Try a Semen Facial

If you're prone to try any beauty product or hack that promises youthful, glowing skin, chances are you've heard of the semen facial.

And if this shocking beauty trend is new to you, it, unfortunately, is exactly what you imagine it to be.

The act of topically applying a man's semen to the face in order to reap the benefits of this supposed good-for-you body fluid has been a trend in recent years. Whether this bizarre trend stems from experts or a group of men who're trying to convince their partners to let them 'relieve themselves' on their bodies, Cosmopolitan asked Los Angeles-based dermatologist Dr. Will Kirby to share the real scientific scoop of this sticky practice.

We constantly preach the benefits of protein for your body—skin included—and it's true that semen contains protein! But Kirby's first truth is that there isn't enough protein content in semen to provide any benefits when smeared all over your face.

In fact, the dermatologist debunked the myth that any of semen's properties is good for your glow. "There is nothing in semen that has demonstrable skin benefits," he said. "Anyone who says otherwise is either misinformed or purposefully misleading you. Or is just a moron."

So not only would you be rubbing a guy's juice on your face with no positive effects, semen may actually cause harm when applied to the body.

Rather than gifting you a youthful glow, rubbing semen on your skin can leave it dry and irritated. "There have been many case reports where an individual developed an allergy to one or more of the proteins in semen, which result in allergic contact dermatitis that is manifested by temporary redness and mild swelling on the skin where it's applied," Kirby said.

And that's not the scariest part. Chlamydia and other STIs can be transmitted through this beauty-seeking practice, not just through sex.

"Many people—even monogamous couples—have undiagnosed sexually transmitted infections that could be spread to the mucous membranes, your lips, nostrils and eyes, via topical application of male ejaculator for those seeking aesthetic improvement," Kirby said.

Despite these serious cons, people are still touting the benefits of DIY semen facials, and some salons offer the sticky service to clients. Their logic is that semen builds babies, who come out of the womb with soft, pretty skin. The first part may be true, but experts can't concede to the latter.

"Yes, obviously, semen is a component of making a baby and you need a sperm and an egg to create a fetus," dermatologist Karyn Grossman, MD, told Refinery29. "But the sperm itself has nothing to do with the skin of the newborn. The sperm is only a carrier of genetic material."

Myth, busted.