Teen claims TikTok shut down account due to acne: ‘gruesome content’

By Izzy Hawksworth via SWNS

A teenage beauty queen has said her Tiktok account was shut down because her cystic acne was branded as "gruesome content."

Eva Grant, 16, created her account at the start of November to help other people who suffer from acne feel more comfortable in their skin.

She started posting relatable content about having acne, including videos about her skin flaking off after wearing makeup and her skin bleeding after wiping her face.

But just three weeks after starting the account, it was removed as TikTok said her acne was "gruesome content."

Eva, who is currently Miss Teen Galaxy York, said: "At first, it really got to me, and I was like, why have they deleted this account because there is nothing wrong with it.

"I had been really careful about what I was posting and making sure it was all safe for the internet so there was no swearing or anything in the audios I were using.

"When it got deleted I asked why it got deleted and then I found out it was due to the acne.

"But I didn't let it stop me, so I created a new account and reposted the content on that new account and it's not been deleted."

The A-Level student contacted TikTok for more information on why her account was taken down, but still hasn't received an answer from the company.

She then decided to make a new TikTok account, which hasn't yet been taken down or reported.

Eva, who had around 100 followers at the time, said: "I just think TikTok need to be more aware of what they are deleting.

"They are deleting accounts that are doing good but keeping accounts on TikTok that aren't doing so good.

"They should double-check with someone before they delete an account permanently."

Eva has suffered from cystic acne for over two years, a type of acne that develops when cysts form underneath the skin, which results in painful bumps on the face.

She created the account because she wanted to help people 'feel more confident in their own skin.'

Eva said: "I created the account because obviously I suffer from acne and I wanted to make sure that people weren't alone if they had acne and make people aware of it.

"My thing is that society deems having clear skin as normal, so why can't we make society think that not having clear skin is normal?

"So that's what I was aiming to do - make people more aware and feel more confident in their own skin."

Her mum Tina, 45, has also said she 'cried' when Eva made the account, as she remembers a time when her daughter would look in the mirror and 'call herself ugly.'

Tina, of Easingwold, North Yorks, said: "Eva's got a very bubbly and friendly personality but when she closed the door at night, the tears would flood.

"But she wouldn't let anyone else see that - I only got to see that along with her dad and sister.

"Nobody else really saw how she felt.

"She would just look in the mirror when her acne was really bad and call herself ugly - but then she decided to turn the negativity into positive.

"When she came down to tell me she was going to post videos, I think I cried because I thought it's just a brave thing for a 16-year-old to do."

A TikTok spokesperson said: "At TikTok, we are driven to provide a platform for creative authentic self-expression.

"We are open about the fact that we don't get every moderation decision right and have reinstated Eva's account.

"We hope Eva continues to use TikTok to offer encouragement and advice to others and to share her story."