10 Bizarre Viral Trends That Took Things Too Far

The internet has a remarkable ability to turn almost anything into a viral sensation. Most online trends are harmless fun, whether it’s a catchy dance, a creative makeup technique, or a funny pet video. Occasionally, however, the pursuit of likes, views, and internet fame pushes people toward ideas that are strange, reckless, or downright dangerous.

Over the past two decades, social media platforms have helped bizarre challenges and unusual fads spread around the world in a matter of days. While some disappeared as quickly as they appeared, others caused serious injuries, property damage, or widespread concern before platforms and authorities stepped in. Here are ten of the strangest viral trends that proved internet popularity isn’t always a good thing.

Related: 10 Ways Social Media Is Used to Commit Crimes

10 100 Layers Challenge

Compared with many entries on this list, the 100 Layers Challenge was relatively harmless—but it was no less bizarre. The premise was simple: apply 100 layers of a single product, usually makeup, nail polish, or clothing, then post the results online. The trend began gaining attention in 2016 after beauty YouTuber Simply Nailogical uploaded a video showing herself applying 116 coats of nail polish.

The idea quickly spread across YouTube and other social media platforms as beauty creators tried increasingly absurd variations. Videos featured 100 layers of mascara, foundation, lipstick, fake eyelashes, T-shirts, socks, and even face masks, often producing comically impractical results.

The challenge became less about beauty and more about seeing just how ridiculous the final product could become. While few participants suffered anything worse than wasted time and sore faces, the trend perfectly captured the internet’s fascination with taking simple ideas to outrageous extremes.^[1]

9 Halo Brows

Few beauty trends have looked stranger than halo brows. Instead of keeping eyebrows separate, the style connected them in a large curved arch across the forehead, creating what resembled a halo—or an upside-down unibrow.

The look originated in 2018 after British makeup enthusiast Hannah Lyne posted her creation on Instagram. Although many participants treated the style as a playful makeup experiment rather than a serious beauty technique, it quickly spread across Instagram, YouTube, and later TikTok as influencers created increasingly elaborate variations.

Halo brows became one of several intentionally exaggerated makeup trends designed more to spark conversation than establish lasting fashion. Even so, their brief popularity demonstrated how quickly an unusual idea can become a worldwide internet phenomenon.^[2]

8 Devious Licks

In internet slang, a “lick” refers to a successful theft. During the fall of 2021, students across the United States began posting videos of themselves stealing or vandalizing school property under the hashtag #deviouslicks, transforming petty theft into one of social media’s most destructive viral trends.

The videos initially featured relatively minor thefts, such as soap dispensers and classroom supplies. As the trend gained momentum, however, participants escalated the damage by stealing fire extinguishers, bathroom fixtures, computers, and even classroom doors. Schools across the country reported thousands of dollars in repair costs, while some were forced to temporarily close restrooms because of the vandalism.

TikTok eventually removed the hashtag and limited related content, but not before the trend had inspired copycat incidents nationwide. What began as a joke ended up causing widespread property damage and prompting criminal investigations in numerous school districts.^[3]

7 Fire Challenge

Few viral trends were as recklessly dangerous as the Fire Challenge. Participants poured flammable liquids such as rubbing alcohol over parts of their bodies before setting themselves on fire—often while friends recorded the stunt for social media.

The challenge first appeared around 2014 and quickly drew national attention after several teenagers suffered severe burns requiring hospitalization. Medical professionals repeatedly warned that even a slight miscalculation could result in life-threatening injuries, permanent scarring, or death.

Although videos continued circulating for a time across several social media platforms, widespread criticism and content moderation eventually reduced the challenge’s visibility. It remains one of the clearest examples of how the pursuit of online attention can encourage extraordinarily risky behavior.^[4]

6 Condom Snorting Challenge

The Condom Snorting Challenge may have originated as early as 2007, but it exploded into public awareness after videos resurfaced online in 2018. Participants attempted to inhale a condom through one nostril and pull it out through the mouth—a stunt that was every bit as unpleasant as it sounds.

Medical experts quickly warned that the challenge carried serious risks. A condom could become lodged in the nasal passages or airway, potentially causing choking, breathing difficulties, allergic reactions, or dangerous infections. Doctors also cautioned that the material could accidentally enter the lungs, increasing the risk of aspiration pneumonia and other respiratory complications.

Although the trend faded relatively quickly, it served as another reminder that internet notoriety often comes at the expense of common sense. Few viral challenges better illustrated the willingness of some users to risk serious injury simply for online views.^[5]

5 Kylie Jenner Lip Challenge

Inspired by the full lips of reality television star Kylie Jenner, this viral beauty trend encouraged participants to place their lips inside a small glass, bottle, or cup and create suction to make them appear temporarily larger. Videos demonstrating the technique spread rapidly across YouTube, Instagram, and other social media platforms, attracting millions of views.

The results were often far from glamorous. Many participants developed severe bruising, swelling, burst blood vessels, and cuts around the mouth. Physicians warned that repeated attempts could damage delicate facial tissue and, in some cases, lead to permanent scarring.

As reports of injuries mounted, Kylie Jenner herself discouraged people from attempting the challenge. Despite its short-lived popularity, the fad became one of the internet’s best-known examples of how beauty trends can quickly cross the line into dangerous self-experimentation.^[6]

4 Salt and Ice Challenge

The Salt and Ice Challenge has resurfaced repeatedly over the years, long before the rise of TikTok. Participants press salt against their skin before placing an ice cube on top, triggering a rapid drop in temperature that can cause frostbite-like burns. The goal is to endure the pain longer than friends while recording the results.

Although the science behind the challenge is simple, the injuries can be surprisingly serious. Salt lowers water’s freezing point, causing the ice to become much colder as it melts. Prolonged contact can damage skin and underlying tissue, leaving painful blisters, scars, or even second-degree burns.

Doctors have repeatedly warned against the challenge, yet it continues to reappear whenever new generations discover it through social media. It’s a reminder that even ordinary household items can become dangerous when turned into viral entertainment.^[7]

3 Milk Crate Challenge

The Milk Crate Challenge exploded across social media in 2021 after participants began stacking plastic milk crates into steep, pyramid-shaped staircases and attempting to climb across them without falling. Videos of spectacular wipeouts quickly flooded TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter as people competed to complete the unstable obstacle course.

The challenge almost always ended the same way. As climbers reached the highest point, the lightweight crates shifted beneath them, sending participants crashing to the ground. Emergency physicians reported injuries ranging from sprained wrists and broken bones to spinal trauma and head injuries.

Hospitals and public officials urged people not to attempt the stunt, while several social media platforms removed or limited related videos. Despite its popularity, the challenge served as another example of how the pursuit of viral fame can encourage increasingly dangerous behavior.^[8]

2 Hot Water Challenge

The Hot Water Challenge involved participants pouring extremely hot or boiling water over themselves—or encouraging unsuspecting friends to do the same—before posting the reactions online. Some variations even challenged people to drink scalding water through a straw, dramatically increasing the risk of serious internal burns.

The consequences were devastating. Hospitals treated victims for severe burns requiring skin grafts, while several incidents involving children ended in permanent injuries or death. Medical experts warned that boiling water causes extensive tissue damage almost instantly, making the challenge far more dangerous than many participants realized.

Law enforcement agencies, schools, and health officials repeatedly urged parents to discuss the risks of viral challenges with children. The trend eventually faded, but not before causing numerous preventable injuries around the world.^[9]

1 Eyeball Tattoos

Few body-modification trends have generated more alarm than eyeball tattooing. Rather than tattooing the skin around the eye, practitioners inject pigment directly beneath the eye’s outer membrane, permanently coloring the white of the eye. Although the practice remained largely confined to niche body-modification communities, videos and photographs spread widely online, introducing millions of people to the procedure.

The risks are significant. Eye specialists warn that improper injections can cause retinal detachment, severe infections, glaucoma, chronic pain, vision loss, or permanent blindness. Unlike conventional tattoos, eyeball tattoos cannot be safely removed if complications occur.

Because the procedure is largely unregulated in many places, ophthalmologists have consistently advised against it. Despite its shocking appearance and viral notoriety, eyeball tattooing remains one of the clearest examples of how internet fascination with extreme trends can overshadow very real medical dangers.^[10]