What is the viral 'hanger challenge' on TikTok? Everything to know about the trend

The "hanger challenge" on TikTok is making everybody's heads turn. The 2020 trend saw a revival in 2022, and it is still as bizarre as it was back then.

TikTok is a goldmine for different kinds of trends and challenges. Some use unique filters to change facial expressions, while others require wearing a hanger around the head to see whether it turns automatically.

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The "hanger challenge" is going viral on TikTok

The viral trend requires a hanger to be put around the head, a phone to record, and that's about it. Creators can ask a friend to record them or put the camera in selfie mode.

Then they take a hanger and wear it on their head like a hat. Somehow, the pressure from the hangers makes a person involuntarily turn their head to the side. They later posted their reactions and experiences on TikTok.

However, not everyone feels the effect of the "hanger challenge." While some swear to experience the reflex, others look like they've replaced their hat for a hanger. A few believe that only plastic hangers can give the desired result because they need to exert pressure on the head.

That hasn't stopped the trend from going viral, as the hashtag for the "hanger challenge" has over 39.4 million views and thousands of videos.

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The "hanger challenge" explained

The phenomenon was first noticed in a study in 1991 and again in 2015 in a study called:

"Rate of Hanger Reflex Occurrence: Unexpected Head Rotation on Frontotemporal Head Compression."

The 2015 study stated:

"When the head is encircled with a wire cloth hanger and the unilateral frontotemporal region is compressed, the head rotates unexpectedly. As the mechanism is unclear, however, we have temporarily named this phenomenon the hanger reflex."

The study observed that 120 adults aged 19 to 65 were divided equally between men and women. They put a hanger over the frontotemporal regions on both sides of the head of all the participating adults, and a majority of 95.8 percent turned or felt like turning their heads on the side.

The study explained:

“The incident rate of the hanger reflex was remarkably high and most likely represents a prevalent phenomenon in humans. The mechanism underlying the reflex remains unknown.”

In a study conducted by a group of scientists in 2014. A hat-like device was placed on the subject's head. The device was designed to exert pressure on different points to see which areas triggered the rotation. It was found that the anterior and posterior temporal regions produced the best response from participants.

Scientists believe the "hanger reflex" can help treat cervical dystonia - a painful condition in which a person’s neck muscles contract involuntarily and move the head to the side.