A simulation has revealed why you shouldn’t pop pimples in a specific area of your face dubbed the ‘triangle of death’.
The weather has started changing, and this could lead to a lot of people’s skin reacting badly, which could lead to you popping these pesky new spots to get rid of them once and for all.
But according to health professionals on social media, there’s one area where you should definitely resist the temptation to pick at your spots.
You shouldn’t pop pimples in the ‘danger triangle’ (Getty Stock Photo)
What is ‘the triangle of death’?
This is an area in the centre of your face, referring to what is called the nasolabial triangle, extending from the bridge of your nose down to your upper lip – a hotspot for breakouts and blackheads to show up.
Crucially though, it’s an area where important arteries and nerves run from your neck to your sinuses and up to your skull.
You can find this area by forming a triangle with your fingers and putting it over your nose.
The viral simulation, which was posted on TikTok by Cleveland Clinic, explains exactly why you shouldn’t pop pimples in the area as it can lead to more serious medical complications if you’re not careful.
You may want to leave those spots alone (TikTok/@Cleveland Clinic)
Why shouldn’t I pop spots in the triangle?
I know, it’s tempting but popping pimples here can potentially lead to ‘a brain infection’, as the video states, or other serious conditions.
Nasal infections, vision loss, stroke or even death can occur if you pop pimples here so I’d probably wait for them to go down on their own.
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, the director of cosmetic and clinical research at the Department of Dermatology at Mount Sinai in New York, weighed in on the issue, explaining to HuffPost: “If you pick your face with dirty fingers, dirty nails or have dirty skin, you run the risk of causing a skin infection.
“In the central face, this is particularly risky because the blood in this area drains into a large collection of veins known as the cavernous sinus, which has a direct connection to the brain,” he added.
The expert then admitted that theoretically ‘bacteria in the bloodstream could spread to the brain’, which would lead to a ‘severe’ infection.
When it comes to your health, there’s one triangle you shouldn’t be obtuse about. The danger of popping a pimple on your nose or near your mouth. 👆👃🏼👄 #fyp #dangertriangle #pimplepop #skincare101 #health #skincare #themoreyouknow #healthtips
How do you get infections there?
Basically, your sinuses are hollow spaces under the brain behind each eye socket and the cavernous sinus has major arteries and nerves that receive blood from the facial veins, with one being the most vital to supply blood to your eyes and brain – the internal carotid artery, Huff Post further explains.
If the cavernous sinus becomes infected, blood in the sinus can clot and affect the optic nerve function, leading to potential headaches, eye irritation, or loss of movement in the eyes, as well as fatigue, fever, vision loss or seizures.
A blood clot here can also prevent blood from draining from the brain, causing blood to continually leak into the brain tissues and leading to possible haemorrhaging.
It can also cause complications such as impaired speech, difficulty moving the body, fluid pressure in the skull, nerve pressure, brain injury or death.
The NHS further say that even with fast treatment, as many as 1 in 3 people might die – and those who survive will develop permanent health problems.
What do I do if I get a pimple here?
The majority of infections that cause cavernous sinus thrombosis are bacterial, so if you do plan on touching your face at all when you’re breaking out, wash your hands before you do.
It should also be noted that permanent acne scars or more painful/noticeable acne can be a product of popping your spots.
Dr. Elizabeth Bahar Houshmand explained why you shouldn’t pop them at all, telling HuffPost: “You can disrupt your skin barrier and if the pimple has pus, popping a pimple can spread bacteria into other pores and hair follicles.
“Many times, you are unable to pop the pimple and may end up pushing the contents of your pimple further underneath the skin. This can clog your pores even more, make acne more noticeable, or trigger inflammation under your skin.”
Of course, you can use relevant spot creams and stick to your skin care routines to prevent more spots from coming up, but popping them seems the unwisest of choices.