A TikTok video has gone viral, with a creator claiming she developed Bell’s palsy—temporary facial paralysis on one side of the face—after using the popular, Khloé Kardashian-loved Medicube Age-R Booster skin-care device for just “two days.” Since posting, the video has racked up nearly 12 million views and counting. In response, the Korean skin-care brand has issued a statement via its Instagram grid, calling the video’s claims “misleading.”
As described by the Cleveland Clinic, “Bell’s palsy happens when there’s inflammation and swelling of your seventh cranial nerve—the nerve that controls facial muscles. Certain conditions (like viral infections) can cause inflammation, but many cases of Bell’s palsy have no clear cause.”
“We would like to clarify that the Booster Pro device does not cause Bell’s Palsy,” the brand wrote in its multi-slide post. “Recently, a viral video on TikTok has been spreading false information claiming that the Booster Pro device caused nerve damage. This misinformation has been spreading uncontrollably, not only affecting our customers but also misleading new individuals who are unfamiliar with our brand, Medicube. This false narrative is creating fear that the use of the device could lead to health problems, and we are deeply concerned about the impacts on our customers, partners, and the overall perception of our products.”
The brand added that “the support of medical journalism states that Bell’s Palsy is most likely caused by a viral agent,” and, interestingly, noted that “electrical stimulation”—a component of the skin-care device in question—”is widely used in the market to help treat facial nerve damage, such as Bell’s Palsy.” In another section of the post, Medicube noted that its product “cannot cause nerve damage,” stating it is “scientifically impossible for the device to cause nerve damage or paralysis” due to its low level of electrical output.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Bell’s palsy is “relatively common,” affecting “15 to 30 people out of 100,000 each year.” While many cases are linked to viral infections, others have no identifiable cause. NewBeauty has reached out to a medical expert for a third-party opinion on whether a skin-care device could be associated with Bell’s palsy.
See the full statement below.
