You can’t plan for a moment like this. A child sketches what might be her mum or a haunted potato, the mum blurts out “Is that hyperpigmentation?”—and somehow, six years later, we’re decorating cakes with that face and calling it art.
What began as an offhand comment has metastasised into digital folklore, splattered across TikTok, Roblox, Reddit, and the occasional tattoo needle.
And unlike most memes that get run into the ground faster than a viral dance challenge, this one keeps reincarnating—like a glitchy phoenix with blush circles and a slightly concerned expression.
What Is the “Hyperpigmentation” Meme Anyway?
In 2019, Sonia Tiebi innocently asked her daughter to draw her. The result?
A scribbly sketch that looked less like a portrait and more like a sleep paralysis demon with a kind heart.
Tiebi, trying to be the ever-supportive parent, asked with genuine confusion and unfiltered comedy:
“What’s that? Is that hyperpigmentation?”
That phrase, now immortalised on TikTok, has become the internet’s affectionate shorthand for “this looks kinda wrong, but I love it anyway.”
It’s even sparked its own follow-up editorial, “Is That Hyperpigmentation? – The Phrase That Conquered TikTok in 2025,” where we unpacked how five words became a meme empire.
TikTok Didn’t Just Revive the Meme—It Gave It New DNA
It wasn’t just reposted. It was reanimated. TikTok users took the meme and made it cosplay.
Artists redrew the infamous portrait in manga styles. Makeup influencers recreated the “hyperpigmentation” with dramatic blush and eyeliner like they were prepping for a Wes Anderson parody of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Roblox kids designed in-game avatars with wonky cheeks and permanent side-eyes.
One standout moment? A TikTok artist under the handle @gps.art.guru did a full “Hyperpigmentation Walk”—a runway strut layered over the original audio, complete with animated eyebrows and existential flair. This meme didn’t just come back. It staged a full musical number.
Reddit Took the Meme and Gave It a Multiverse
DRAWING YOUR OC AS HYPERPIGMENTATION MEME!
byu/Peenese inDrawForMe
In the r/DrawForMe thread, one Redditor offered to “draw your OC in hyperpigmentation meme style.”
The response? A digital flood of dragons, goddesses, and anthropomorphic foxes rendered with off-kilter blush and emotionally questionable eyebrows.
Comments ranged from:
- “This is peak. Have some gold stars.”
- “Now that’s a long snout (it’s called snout right?)”
- “First time drawing an OC with such unique skin and IT’S on a meme WTH.”
The tone? Unapologetically chaotic, entirely celebratory, and—let’s face it—kind of touching. This wasn’t just fan art. It was collective nostalgia dressed up in digital absurdity.
The Meme’s Staying Power: A Recipe of Absurdity, Nostalgia, and… Love?
Let’s break down why it hasn’t faded into the algorithmic void:
- Absurdity – It’s a mum trying so hard not to roast her kid on camera. It’s also that drawing. It’s all so wonderfully awkward.
- Nostalgia – For OG memeheads, it’s a throwback to the Vine era of low-stakes, high-laugh content. For newcomers, it’s an initiation rite.
- Relatability – Everyone has been there. You made a thing. You showed it to someone. Their smile said “I support you,” but their eyes said “please stop.”
As one Redditor commented under the video’s recreation, “I’m old”… before promptly crying with laughter.
From Meme to Merch? Predicting the Future of “Hyperpigmentation”
Here’s where we go bold: Don’t be surprised if you see the drawing on T-shirts, mugs, or even museum walls.
One Reddit user already joked, “She needs to put that picture on a shirt with the caption ‘It’s Fantastic!’” They’re not wrong.
The meme has become a Gen Alpha in-joke with intergenerational charm—a perfect fit for ironic streetwear and painfully honest birthday cards.
And we wouldn’t be shocked if by 2026, it’s turned into a playable Roblox experience. Or better yet: an AI filter that gives your selfie the “hyperpigmentation” look.
But Let’s Be Honest…
It’s just a mum, a daughter, and a badly drawn face.
And yet somehow, it captures more truth than most Oscar speeches and brand campaigns combined.
It isn’t trying to be smart or viral or brand-friendly. It’s not packaged by an influencer marketing agency.
It’s pure, messy, unscripted humanity—the kind that algorithms keep trying to replicate but can never quite touch.
So yes, it’s hilarious. But it’s also kind of healing. Especially in a culture obsessed with curating perfection, a meme that celebrates imperfection feels… revolutionary.
One More Thing
If you’re new here because you googled is that hyperpigmentation, welcome to the rabbit hole.
If you’re not new? You already know this isn’t just a meme—it’s a movement.
Read our original breakdown to get the full story, or check out how the phrase itself took on a life of its own.