That Part of Your Face Where You Really Shouldn't Pop Your Pimples

Popping pimples on your face is not recommended. Especially in an area where it can even be dangerous.

Should you or should you not pop pimples that appear on your face? This is a question that comes up often. Purulent, unsightly, a pimple can very quickly tickle and give an irrepressible urge to exterminate it. However, it is generally not recommended to touch any pimple, even the most benign. This can make it more visible and lead to scarring. Bacteria, dead cells and sebum can also penetrate your skin further through the pierced pimples. The risk obviously increases if you do it with unwashed hands.

There is one area in particular where squeezing your pimples would be even more dangerous. In this area, this action can more easily cause an infection. The latter is, in fact, rich in blood vessels and therefore a small wound can quickly form and allow bacteria to enter. This area is also prone to excessive bleeding.

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According to the dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, Joshua Zeichner, interviewed by the magazine Health, this “death zone” or “danger zone,” as it is sometimes called, is where the cavernous sinus, a “large vein that drains blood to the brain,” passes. “If an infection develops when you pop a pimple, it can spread from the skin to through this sinus, has the potential to infect the brain and even spread throughout the body via the bloodstream,” he explained.

“This can lead to a risk of infection and more precisely facial cellulitis, which is a skin infection with risk of necrosis,” confirmed Dr. Gérald Kierzek at Doctissimo. In some cases, an infection in this area can lead to partial facial paralysis. Don't panic though, it is very rare for enough bacteria to get into the wound to have such consequences.

But where exactly is this “death zone”?? It extends from the nose to just above the lips. To identify it, simply make a triangle with your fingers by joining your thumbs and index fingers and then place the tip of the triangle at the top of the nose. The base falls on the bottom of the upper lip. Rather than popping your pimples, especially in the “death zone”, it is advisable to consult a dermatologist and follow the care he or she will provide.