We’ve all had days where our hair and skin look like we’ve stepped out of a magazine shoot. Your hair is falling just right and your skin is glowing as if you’ve spent most of your adult life religiously following a 12-step Korean skincare routine. But then there are the bad hair and skin days with unexpected zits and greasy, flat hair that look like they haven’t been near a shampoo for months.

While there are multiple things you can blame those horrid days on, TikTok claims that your boyfriend could be a big reason why!

‘Boyfriend Air’ is the latest term that has taken over the skincare side of the Internet and it’s as weird and icky as it sounds.

What is Boyfriend Air?

‘Boyfriend Air’ is when you start spending more time with your SO, the likelier it is that your skin and hair will start experiencing breakouts, and become lacklustre, and grimy. The tag is populated with women sharing their accounts of experiencing the wild phenomenon and claiming that their boyfriends are to be blamed for their mysteriously bad skin and hair. One TikTok user claimed that even after taking a long and detailed shower, she woke up feeling grimy and dirty the next morning, while another claimed she felt her longtime shampoo had turned against her.

Is your boyfriend really to be blamed?

According to experts, yes and no. If you’ve started noticing a pattern in your bad hair and skin days and it completely aligns with the time you spend with your boyfriend, it could be because of his poor hygiene or a number of other factors. It could be different air quality, unwashed sheets or pillowcases, different types of water or detergents, pets, or roommates.

If you’re in a relationship and you’ve started spending more time at your boyfriend’s place, it’s likely that you both are also getting ~*physical*~. Experts agree that increased physical contact and sweat can be a cause of the sudden deterioration of your skin and hair quality.

There’s also the fact that you might be taking frequent breaks from your regular skincare routine if you’re spending more time not at your place.

Can Boyfriend Air be combatted?

Of course! If your relationship is solid, it’s going to take more than an unexpected zit to break you and your SO apart. But if you feel like you’re not looking your best and that ‘Boyfriend Air’ is bringing you down, then you should start carrying your own skincare products with you or even a pillowcase, if you’re planning to spend more time with them.

You can also have a talk with your boyfriend about changing their sheets more regularly and being less of a slob (lovingly, of course!).