Credits: Social Media
What is a nose scarf? Korea’s ‘winter must-have’ is TikTok’s latest obsession
Koreans are beating the winter chills with the nose scarf, which TikTok users from other cold regions can’t wait to try. The smart innovation featured in the viral video is real and apparently, extremely useful in surviving the harsh weather in South Korea.
What is a nose scarf as the Korean winter item goes viral?
As the name suggests, a nose scarf is a mask-like item worn around the nose to stay warm in the cold weather. The bands from either end of the scarf sit behind the ears to hold it in place. Isn’t it the coolest thing?
The lesser-known item has gained a lot of prominence on TikTok after content creator Jeff Kimie, whose account specializes in videos about life in South Korea, posted a video of himself wearing the adorable nose scarf.
He explains that a scarf in Korea is known as “mok do ri”, whereas the nose scarf is called “ko do ri”. In the viral video that’s gathered over 5.4 million views, Jeff says the winters in his country are so cold that people resort to the unique accessory to keep themselves warm.
The video depicts pictures of celebrities, including the singer Joy of Red Velvet and Lia of Itzy wearing the nose scarf.
Although the nose scarf is widely used only in Korea, Jeff’s video has prompted TikTok users from cold regions in other parts of the world to try it as well.
One user commented: “Nobody asked but it’s 13�C in Portugal. Love the nose scarf!”
“OMG. Norway needs that ASAP,” said another, while a third user asked: “I am from Canada and I want one. Its cute but can you breathe well while wearing them?”
Why nose becomes cold more easily and how to stay safe
The nose, compared to the other parts of the human body, tends to get cold faster because it is mostly made up of cartilage tissue and does not have a lot of insulating fat to keep it warm.
It’s important to keep your nose warm when the temperature drops to avoid upper respiratory infections because cold weather weakens the body’s ability to fight viruses.
As we are exposed to many bacteria and viruses while breathing normally, these enter through the nasal passage, which needs to be kept warm to respond to foreign agents.
Benjamin Bleier, associate professor at Harvard Medical School told KCRW that masks worn during COVID-19 not only restricted contact with the deadly virus, but the protective layer also kept our noses warm, thus increasing its response to infections.
