His warning comes after one woman was rushed to hospital after popping a pimple
A doctor has issued an urgent health warning telling people not to pop spots in a certain area of the face. This common grooming routine “could kill you”, the expert said.
Squeezing pimples is habit many people don’t think twice about. While it is typically harmless, there are very specific instances where it could be dangerous.
In a video shared to social media platform TikTok, Doctor Suraj Kukadia explained more. Dr Kukadia, who is better known online as Dr Sooj, warned people not to touch what is known as the “triangle of death ”.
This phrase refers to the area from the bridge of your nose down to the corners of your mouth. The reason popping spot here is so risky is because it increases the risk of a severe infection that may reach your brain or bloodstream.
Dr Sooj told his more than 290,000 followers: “Do not pop a pimple in the triangle of death. Don’t do it, it could kill you.”
He stressed that this outcome is unlikely but not impossible. “I mean it probably won’t, but is it really worth the risk?” he continued.
“The triangle runs from the bridge of your nose down to the corners of your mouth. The veins here drain backwards into the cavernous sinus and this is a deep vein inside the skull that is very very close to the brain.
“Now if you pop a pimple in this area you are opening up that area to new bacteria and if it gets infected that bacteria can spread into those veins. In very rare cases this can cause a cavernous sinus thrombosis, which is a blood clot or an infection in the brain and it can be life threatening.”
He shared when to seek medical help. Dr Sooj said: “Now most pimples won’t do this but it’s why we always advise against picking in that zone.
“So if a spot in the triangle becomes red, swollen or painful, especially if you feel unwell with a fever or a swelling spreading across the face, you need a really really urgent medical opinion, perhaps even a visit to the emergency department.
“So please resist the urge to squeeze you can instead treat it with topical creams, warm compresses and let it settle, your brain will thank you for it.” His warning is backed by another medical professional, dermatologist Alok Vij.
Writing for the Cleveland Clinic, Dr Vij said: “There is the possibility for a facial infection to become an infection that impacts the rest of your body. Thankfully, it’s relatively unlikely
“But whenever there’s a violation of the skin and interaction with bacteria, there’s always a possibility for infection, which can lead to greater health concerns.” Dr Sooj’s warning comes just says after a woman made headlines worldwide for popping a spot in the so-called “triangle of death”.
Alisha Monaco, from Michigan in the US, was left in “excruciating pain” and ended up having to go to hospital after popping the pimple under her nose, which caused her face to swell up and her to feel dizzy.
Sharing her story on TikTok, the 32-year-old said: “I knew I’d messed up. The pain was all on the right bottom side of my nostril, down to my lip and even up the side of my face.
“I woke up four or five hours later in excruciating pain on my right side of my face. The whole right side of my face was swollen, my smile was crooked and my ear felt clogged on the right side.
“It was brutal. I was in so much pain just trying to smile/talk.”