Most people have done it at least once: spotting a pimple and squeezing it, hoping it will disappear faster. But medical experts are now warning that this common habit can be far more dangerous than it looks—especially if the blemish appears in a specific area of the face.
That’s a lesson Lish Marie, a mother of three, learned the hard way. After noticing a cyst-like pimple just below her nostril, she did what many people instinctively do and popped it without much thought. Within hours, however, things took a frightening turn.
Lish soon developed noticeable facial swelling and intense pain. When she tried to smile, only one side of her face moved while the other remained stiff. Alarmed, she went straight to urgent care, where doctors prescribed her four medications, including antibiotics and steroids, to stop a rapidly developing infection.
Doctors explained that the pimple she popped was located in what’s commonly referred to as the “triangle of death.” This area of the face runs from the bridge of the nose down to the corners of the mouth. While the name sounds dramatic, the risk is very real. Infections in this zone can, in rare cases, spread through veins that connect directly to the brain.
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