People are now tattooing foundation into their skin and we need to talk about it.

Amongst all the crazy beauty hacks you see popping up on social media, there's one viral cosmetic treatment that might've caught your eye: the BB Glow treatment.

On TikTok and Instagram, you'll see hundreds upon hundreds of faces covered in perfectly symmetrical spots of (what looks like) foundation, blush and bronzer (in fact, it looks a lot like the dot method makeup hack!), before a microneedling device is used to tattoo the BB cream pigment into the skin.

Yes, we're now tattooing foundation onto our faces — and we're going to need to talk about it.

Watch: Speaking of beauty, watch us try the viral lip stain treatment on You Beauty's Tried & Tested. Post continues below.

Touted as the perfect treatment to minimise the appearance of pores, camouflage dark spots and reduce dark circles, it's essentially semi-permanent makeup to improve your overall complexion for a 'no-makeup' makeup look.

Just take a peek below:

@jiotabeauty

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♬ New Rules (Remix) - Dua Lipa

Interesting, right? If you're anything like us, you have questions. Lots and lots of questions.

Is it basically like a full face tattoo? Is it actually safe? How long does it last?

Well, that's why Mamamia hit up Melbourne-based dermal clinician Jayde Taylor, the popular Aussie skin expert known as @drivenbybeauty on Instagram and TikTok (if you don't already follow her, you simply must). Known for calling out the "marketing BS" in the beauty industry, her mission is clear: cut through the noise and drop science-backed truth bombs so we know what actually works.

She recently shared a clip detailing her honest thoughts on the viral treatment, including exactly what it involves and if it's actually safe and effective.

And you're really going to want to read this, friend.

Here's what she said.

What is BB Glow treatment?

Before we get into it, it's probably best to look at exactly what this viral beauty treatment is, no?

Originating from South Korea and Singapore, the BB Glow cosmetic treatment basically involves micro-needling pigment into the skin to improve your complexion. It's a semi-permanent treatment and lasts between two to eight weeks, meaning it requires regular top-up sessions for best results.

As mentioned earlier, it claims to be an effective way to improve the look of your skin without the need to apply foundation, BB cream or tinted moisturiser every day.

Is the BB Glow treatment safe for your skin?

"I've been asked about it numerous times," said Jayde. "This is a treatment that I actually wouldn't do. It is not TGA approved, it is not FDA approved."

Solid start.

"The main thing is that they've gone from a 12-point needle to a nano-needle because people are getting it done with the 12-point needle and then they are getting reactions with their pigment, where it's going mottled AF."

And yes, we know what you're thinking: Okay, but isn't using a nano-needle better because it's not going in as deep?

As Jayde explained, nano-needles still target melanin (your epidermis is a lot thinner than you might think), which means you're essentially risking things like melasma and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentaion (PIH).

What's worse, people are actually doing the treatment at home by themselves with a DIY micro-needling device.

"It's the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard. You are sticking a needle into the tissue, and you don't have the experience — also, you don't know how far it's going. You stick it in, and you're triggering the pigment," shared Jayde.

"They're also not telling people about the ink, and then they're going in for their laser appointments or their IPL appointments and then the laser and the IPL are interacting with the ink."

Enter: Your literal skin burning.

As Jayde shared, this can also result in something called granuloma. Which is as delightful as it sounds (like a golf ball of cells and tissues).

"Granuloma is basically a fibrotic ball of tissue under the skin — and this is a really fun time for surgeons because a lot of them will go, 'No mate, sorry — you're on your own'," she explained.

Eeep.

So how common are these complications?

"Well, let's just say you're lucky enough not to get a granuloma. The other thing I'm considering is something like an allergic reaction. But let's say you don't do the 12-point needle head and you go for the nano [option]. Babe, this s**t is only lasting you one skin cell cycle, which is one month."Financially? Not a great decision."How many times do you need to do this s**t for you to have a nicer complexion? I would rather work on my skin — not to mention avoid the risk of infection, which is quite high because some of these places aren't trained in aseptic techniques. But that's just my thoughts and theories."

Watch her whole clip below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jayde (@drivenbybeauty_)

In the comment section, one person wrote, "Tattooer here! There is no way in hell I would be trying to tattoo flat, skin-toned pigment over such a large area even if it wasn't the face. I know tattooing probably works differently (I've never heard of this procedure before) however the difficulty level to get such a large area perfectly and evenly saturated is SO HIGH, not to mention the healing process that's completely out of my hands!"

TLDR; There are a whole lot of reasons experts wouldn't recommend getting the BB Glow treatment — not only is it extremely unsafe, but it's also costly and ineffective, when your money can be better spent elsewhere.

"It actually doesn't make scientific, medical or financial sense," said Jayde.

In the meantime, I'm good with just whacking on some BB Cream where I need it, thanks.

What are your thoughts on the viral BB treatment? Share them with us in the comment section below.

Feature image: TikTok/@jiotabeauty, @glowup.medicalaesthetics.