A woman in New York was rushed to urgent care and prescribed four medications after popping a pimple under her nose in a high-risk area of the face known to medical professionals as the “triangle of death.”
Lish Marie, a TikTok user known as @lishmarie1, attempted to squeeze a cystic pimple just below her nostril — a common site for acne. Within hours, the left side of her face had swollen dramatically, leaving her unable to smile symmetrically, New York Post reported. “Only one side of my face could move,” she said in a video recounting the ordeal.
Doctors diagnosed her with a severe facial infection and prescribed a combination of antibiotics and steroids. The pimple had been located in the “triangle of death,” an area stretching from the bridge of the nose to the corners of the mouth. According to dermatologists, this region contains veins that connect directly to the brain via the cavernous sinus, making it particularly vulnerable to infections that can escalate rapidly.
“When you pop a pimple in this zone, you create an open wound that can allow bacteria to enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain,” the publication quoted NYC-based dermatologist Dr Mark Strom as saying. Potential complications include blindness, stroke, paralysis — and in rare cases, death.
Marie said she was aware of the risks and sought medical attention within hours. “I think I caught mine extremely quick,” she said, adding that the pain was “extremely intense.” By the next day, her condition had improved, though her smile remained uneven. Three days later, she reported being “100 percent back to normal".
Her experience has sparked renewed warnings from dermatologists against squeezing pimples in the central facial zone. Experts advised using topical treatments and consulting professionals for persistent or painful blemishes.
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