Woman Goes Viral on TikTok for Her ‘Caveman’ Skincare Method. Here’s Why She Doesn’t Wash Her Face (Exclusive)

• A TikToker named Tia Zakher has gone viral for committing to what is dubbed the “caveman” skincare routine, which consists of zero maintenance to the skin, including not washing the face
• Zakher has not washed her face with soap in weeks, causing her complexion to change over time, and raising concerns about her skin’s condition
• Zakher tells PEOPLE that she’s in a “really good place” as she debunks rage-baiting rumors

You may have seen Tia Zakher‘s face on your TikTok For You Page recently — the 22-year-old influencer has gone viral alongside the controversial “Caveman” skincare routine.

What does that mean exactly? According to New York-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Rachel Nazarian, the Stone Age-inspired trend is simply a term for “skincare neglect.”

“It’s where you do nothing to your skin, including avoidance of washing, moisturizing, sunscreen, anything at all,” she tells PEOPLE, which is what Zakher, 22, has been doing and gaining attention for online.

Since March, Zakher says she hasn’t used any face wash to cleanse, in the hopes of restoring her skin’s natural state. She began incorporating the skincare method into her life when she decided to kick the habit of picking at her skin, which she had done “almost every day for years.” What she calls “manual exfoliation” became so uncontrollable that it started to cause severe acne and scarring.

“My skincare routine was all over the place,” she tells PEOPLE. “I was trying so many different things and doing so many different things. I was never consistent because I was just in this vicious cycle, and I didn’t know how to get out of it.”

The “caveman”-inspired trend was something she experimented with in the past, but she fully committed to a zero-maintenance lifestyle earlier this year to regenerate her skin, which has gradually taken on a textured, discolored appearance that’s caused alarm among millions of TikTok users, many of whom have gone as far as diagnosing Zakher’s skin condition upon a glance.

Zakher, meanwhile, shuts down speculation that she’s been growing a fungal infection and confirms that all she’s experienced is dryness. In a video posted in April, she also disclosed that her skin was going through retention hyperkeratosis, which the Cleveland Clinic states is a condition that occurs when “skin cells that don’t shed properly from your skin’s surface, [cause] acne.”

Nazarian believes that Zakher’s skin could be experiencing an intense version of this. “It’s a classic example of what happens when you neglect skin and let nature overrun your face and leave inflammation unchecked.”

For now, Zakher doesn’t have any concerns. Contrary to what people think, she tells PEOPLE she does have a dermatologist who is also a family friend, and who she says “supports” what she’s doing.

“I’m going to listen to my dermatologist as well as my skin. I’m open to changing things if that’s what’s best for me,” she says, adding that she recently has started rinsing her face with water and is considering reintroducing her skin to moisturizer at some point.

“What I keep telling people and what people keep telling me as well is that years of damage wasn’t reversed overnight,” she says. “I still need time. I’m still very much committed. There’s a long way to go. I’m going to stick it out for a few months to see what happens.”

Staying on her own course also means disregarding the angry commentary flooding her videos (including assumptions that she’s been rage-baiting for attention and even faking it all with the help of a clay mask). But right now, Zakher and her skin are in a “really good place.”

“At the end of the day, it’s my face,” she says. “I block out that noise. I know that a lot of people are concerned. I understand that there’s always going to be hate when you post on social media, and I fully take that on board. I actually go out of my way to approve comments that take TikTok filters because I really don’t mind seeing it all and hearing it all. I just have a good head on my shoulders, and I have a good support system. I don’t let it affect me.”

The remaining question is if resorting to the trend safe. Nazarian doesn’t entirely cosign on the approach and encourages anyone looking to downsize their skincare routine to look for alternative products, particularly face washes that are gentle, non-foaming and unscented, so buildup and bacteria can be removed without stripping the skin’s natural oils.