Why Doja Cat Red Dress Can Make People Physically Sick: The Nuances of Trypophobia

The Doja Cat red dress worn by the singer for the Paris Fashion Week has garnered quite some attention. People are saying that the outfit has triggered trypophobia. The singer from Say So wore a full red ensemble and covered herself from head to toe in 30,000 Swarovski crystals for the event.

She wore the Doja Cat red dress for the Schiaparelli show, an eccentric French fashion house founded by an Italian. Many were impressed by the 27-year-old's look, which took nearly five hours to pull off.

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Doja Cat Red Dress Triggers Trypophobia

The fear of clusters of holes, circles, or bumps, known as trypophobia, appears to be shared by many internet users. The Doja Cat red dress triggered trypophobia in many people, at least that's what users from around the globe claimed as soon as her post was uploaded on social media.

According to Healthline, the term was coined in 2005 on an online forum by fusing the Greek words for "punching" (trypa) and "phobia" (phobia = fear, aversion). Those who suffer from trypophobia have a negative reaction to anything with a dense concentration of tiny holes, such as a strawberry or a sponge. Many people found it extremely difficult to look at her haute couture outfit because of the thousands of tiny circle crystals that covered it.

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What is trypophobia?

Trypophobia is defined as an anxiety disorder characterised by aversion to anything with a pattern of small holes, like those found in a sponge or honeycomb. Those who have had a similar experience typically find these pockmark arrangements in the Doja Cat red dress to be repulsive.

Somewhere between 17 percent and 23 percent of children and adults have the disorder. Strawberries, kiwis, and other fruits with tiny seeds, insects, bee stings, the skin of snakes, frogs, and other reptiles, the bottoms of shoes, holes in cheese, seeds in bread and bagels, etc., can all set off an allergic reaction.

Chills, dry mouth, pale skin, nausea, profuse sweating, and nausea are some of the symptoms of typophobia. Doja Cat was the target of social media backlash after some users claimed the repeated red patterns on her outfit could be distressing for people with trypophobia. Below are some responses:

Pat McGrath, the artist responsible for the breathtaking makeup, said the design was called "Doja's Inferno" and took exactly four hours and 58 minutes to complete.

She remarked that the singer's "sublime patience" was on display, and that the "magical, mesmerising masterpiece of sparkling brilliance" was the result of the hand application of 30,000 Swarovski crystals.