Stop Squeezing Your Pimples And Pulling Out Your Nose Hairs!

You’ve probably heard this advice before, so we’re here to remind you again…

Stop squeezing your pimples and pulling out your nose hairs!

Infectious disease doctors at Johns Hopkins University in the US and Public Health Malaysia (PHM) have urged the public to stop this commonly disregarded habit, especially because it involves the ‘triangle of death’ on your face.

For those of you who don’t know, the ‘triangle of death’ is a colloquial term for an area of the face that includes the region of the nose and corners of the mouth.

The best way to see this triangle is to form one with your fingers - connecting the tips of your thumbs, and then the tips of your pointer fingers.

On your face, the tip of your triangle is on the bridge of your nose, and the base of your triangle starts at either corner of your mouth, and extends across the bottom of your upper lip.

So why is it dangerous to pop pimples in the 'triangle of death'?

According to Healthline, this area is connected via blood vessels to areas of the skull where infections can spread very rapidly and become more serious.

Bacteria can very easily enter your body if the skin inside this triangle is broken, and because of the proximity to critical portions of your brain, the infection can lead to serious complications, such as getting a stroke.

While infections of this area are rare due to antibiotics, should the skin be exposed to bacteria, it could still invade and have access to the body’s control center (four major cranial nerves that control functions in and around the face).

If any of those nerves get infected, you could develop paralysis in several parts of your face, including the eyelids and mouth, while your motor functions and vision can be impaired as well.

So the next time you’re thinking about popping that pimple, think about potentially getting a brain infection!

But if you’re still insistent on getting it out, consider your timing.

Dr Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York said, “If you are going to pop your pimples, do not do it right before bed when you are tired. Think of it like a sterile surgical procedure.”

Of course, make sure you thoroughly wash your hands, and make sure the spaces underneath your fingernails are clean (better yet, cut your fingernails before you pop that zit).

“If the blockage does not come out easily, abort the mission,” Dr. Zeichner stressed, adding that after-care (antibiotic ointment) is another crucial part of any successful pimple-popping quest.

PHM also wants the public to be reminded that prevention is better than cure, but seek medical treatment if you’re really unsure.

Made you think twice about that pimple now, huh?

by Kyle Roshen Jacob