Youâre casually scrolling Facebook when suddenly â BAM!
You see a gloved hand peeling back someoneâs skin and pulling out dozens of what looks like worms, larvae, or some alien infestation. Itâs gross. Itâs mesmerizing. You canât look away.
But the real question isâŚ
Is this some horrifying medical condition⌠or is the internet fooling us again?
Letâs dive deep (no pun intended) into the viral video everyoneâs talking about â and the surprising truth that lies beneath the âskin.â
 What Are You ActuallySeeing?
At first glance, it looks like a surgical procedure gone terribly wrong. Thereâs an open wound. A cluster of little round creatures embedded inside. Surgical tools pulling them out one by one. It feels real. But hereâs the kicker:
 Itâs all fake. 100%. Movie-level special effects.
What youâre seeing is the work of a professional SFX (Special Effects) makeup artist. The âwoundâ is a prosthetic appliance â made of silicone, latex, or gelatin â skillfully blended with the skin to look horrifyingly real. The âlarvaeâ? Just dried peppercorns or tiny silicone beads, placed for dramatic effect.
 How Do They Make It Look So Real?
Special effects artists use these tools:
Silicone Wounds:Â Molded to look like torn, infected skin.
Liquid Latex:Â For texture and skin layering.
Fake Blood & Tissue Gel:Â To create moist, fresh-looking wounds.
Beads/Peppercorns:Â To simulate maggots, parasites, or cysts.
Coloring:Â Alcohol-based paints mimic real skin tones, bruising, and decay.
The artist applies this to a real body part â like a knee or shoulder â and films the removal process. The way itâs lit and shot? Thatâs what sells the illusion.
 Why Does This Go Viral So Fast?
Because it triggers a deep human response. This kind of content activates something called:
 The Disgust/Fascination Effect
Weâre biologically wired to respond to things that might signal danger (disease, infection, injury).
At the same time, our curiosity kicks in. âWhat if this happens to me?â
That contrast between âI want to look awayâand âI canât stop watchingâ creates viral gold.
 How It Tricks Even Smart Viewers
Even doctors have to pause and look closely at first glance. Why?
High-quality video makes it look like a real surgical environment.
Sterile gloves and metal tools add to the illusion.
No obvious cuts or edits â itâs shot in one smooth take.
Human reaction (even if staged) adds credibility.
But again, no pain, no blood vessels, no immune response = not real.
 The Real Purpose: Entertainment and Engagement
Makeup artists and content creators use these illusions not to scare you (okay, maybe a little ), but
Grab attention within 1 second
Get shares, clicks, and likes
Drive traffic to their pages, stores, or websites (like this one!)
Showcase their incredible skill in realism makeup
 Wait, So No One Got Hurt?
Correct. No infections. No parasites. No emergency surgeries.
Just brilliant makeup, a little peppercorn magic, and expert camera work.
Itâs like horror movies: the blood is fake, but the reaction is real.
 What Can You Learn From This?
Besides not falling for internet illusions again , hereâs the takeaway:
Always question viral content. Is it too dramatic to be real?
Donât blindly trust what you see â even if it looksmedical.
Understand that shock sells â and marketers know it.
Appreciate the art of illusion. This is modern-day makeup mastery.
 Final Thought: âEntertainment or Exploitation?â
These videos can be disturbing â especially for people with trypophobia (fear of small holes/clusters). But at the same time, they show how powerful media can be when combined with creativity.
Whether youâre disgusted or impressed â you watched it. You felt something. And thatâs exactly what the creator wanted.
 Want to See More Shocking Truths?
Swipe up from our Facebook story or click the link below to uncover:
More viral myths exposed
Behind-the-scenes of viral illusions
Real vs Fake challenges (can you tell the difference?)
Because sometimesâŚÂ the scariest things arenât real at all.