Feeling hungover? TikTok has a hack to help. A trend on the platform has people dunking their heads in a bowl of ice water to help ease the symptoms of their hangovers. Known as the āice bowl trickā or the āice bowl challenge,ā fans claim it really works, while others arenāt so sure about the results.
In one clip, user Andreana āAnnaā Tay gives the chilly method a try, holding her face underwater for 10 seconds, before taking a break to recover and plunge it in again. āOh my God, it works,ā she says at first, but quickly changes her mind, adding, āNo it doesnāt. What the fā, it doesnāt.ā Another TikToker who posted a video of herself dunking her face in a bowl of ice water also wasnāt happy with the results, captioning the clip, āWhoever told me to put my face in a bowl of ice water to fix my hangover was lying.ā
So does it work? According to pharmacist Dr. Chris Jackson, it does. In his own TikTok video, he explains that the trick activates the ādiverās reflex.ā This is a biological response that keeps mammals alive in oxygen-deprived underwater conditions, according to Dartmouth. āPut your face in a bowl of ice water, let the water hit your nostrils, and hold your face in the water for 5-10 seconds up to 3x. This will activate the diverās reflex and help with nausea,ā Jackson explains. āItās also great for anxiety, migraines, and your skincare routine.ā