A woman has been left with severe second-degree burns after a pair of shapewear shorts purchased from TikTok Shop allegedly “melted” into her skin. Molly-May Watson, a 27-year-old executive assistant from Kennington, south London, bought the £8.57 “Spanx-like” shorts in May 2024 from a seller named MOONGIRL-UK on the social media platform’s shopping feature. The incident has left her with potential life-long scarring and has raised significant concerns regarding product safety on online marketplaces.

The distressing event occurred on July 27, 2024, when Molly-May wore the shorts for the first time under a dress while attending her sister’s baby shower. During the event, she suddenly felt an intense burning sensation on her upper right thigh and lower bum cheek. Initially, she thought a bee might have flown into her dress, but upon rushing to the bathroom, she discovered the elastane stretchy material of the shorts had horrifyingly “melted” into her skin. She was forced to rip the garment off, an act that further exacerbated her injuries.

The following day, Molly-May sought urgent medical attention at St Thomas’ Hospital in London. There, medical professionals confirmed she had sustained first and second-degree burns. She was told that she could be “scarred for life” as a result of the incident. Doctors, perplexed by the nature of the injury, stated they were unsure whether it was a “heat burn or a chemical reaction.” Since the incident, Molly-May has been bandaged up and has been unable to walk properly, requiring her to work from home while she recovers. She continues to attend medical appointments and monitor her healing, noting that scarring has already begun.

Following her painful experience, Molly-May attempted to complain to TikTok Shop through their in-app help function. She provided photographic evidence of her burns and the damaged shorts. Despite being passed to a specialist team, her efforts to seek appropriate redress proved frustrating. TikTok Shop offered her only a refund for the shorts and a £10 coupon as compensation. Molly-May found this offer “insulting” and refused to accept the coupon, stating she would “never be shopping from that shop again” and would avoid any budget or third-party sellers in the future. She noted that the seller, MOONGIRL-UK, could no longer be found on Google, leading her to believe it was not a legitimate operation from the start. Friends and colleagues also shared similar experiences of irritation from comparable products.

In response to the incident, a TikTok spokesperson confirmed that the listing and the seller page for MOONGIRL-UK were removed from the platform in June of the previous year. They also stated that TikTok had already responded to the buyer’s complaint and provided compensation, although Molly-May clearly found this insufficient given the severity of her injuries and the potential long-term impact on her health and well-being.