Why shouldn’t you squeeze acne in the nasolabial triangle area?

In the arsenal of cosmetologists and dermatologists there are many interesting and sometimes scary terms that you will want to learn more about. For example, doctors call the wrinkles formed by frowning eyebrows the sadness triangle. The nasolabial region of the face, where acne cannot be squeezed, is often called the death triangle. We asked cosmetologists why this is not just a buzzword but a real danger zone and how to deal with it.

What is the “triangle of death” and where is it located?

“If you draw imaginary lines from the top of the nose along the nasolabial folds to the perimeter of the lips, you get a triangle bordering this most dangerous area of ​​​​the face. This is the most undesirable place to touch any rash or damage the skin in any way,” says Maryana Abezivanova, beautician at Rose beauty center.

Why can’t you squeeze acne in the nasolabial triangle?

Any beautician will tell you that you cannot squeeze acne on any part of your face. There will only be more inflammation and scars or post-acne memories may remain afterward. However, the nasolabial triangle is a high-risk area, so you should avoid it completely.

“The veins in this area do not have valves (unlike veins in other parts of the body), so venous blood flows directly into the cavernous sinus (i.e., the dura mater sinus of the brain). Thus, any infection that enters the nasolabial triangle area immediately spreads to the veins and arteries. The infection then reaches the venous sinuses (or sinuses) and meninges. If the infection gets into the meninges, the person develops blood clots and begins to develop meningitis – inflammation of the meninges of the brain, which can lead to deafness, epilepsy and even death. Therefore, purulent formations in the nasolabial area should not be squeezed or injured, and the rules of skin treatment should be followed when performing aesthetic injections. You can get meningitis by squeezing a pimple on your face, but to do this you need to have a very suppressed immune system and a lot of “luck”, says Elena Bystritskaya, dermatovenerologist at the CenterPlus Infectious Diseases Clinic of the Central Research Institute. Rospotrebnadzor Epidemiology, Ph.D.

What are the chances of bad outcomes occurring?

Squeezing a pimple doesn’t necessarily lead to the worst results. Thrombosis of the cavernous sinuses is rare – according to statistics, up to one and a half cases per 100 thousand people per year. Still, this happens, so it’s definitely not worth playing roulette and taking risks.

There were examples even among famous people. It is believed that this is how Russian composer and pianist Alexander Scriabin died at the age of 43. There are legends that, trying to get rid of purulent inflammation on his upper lip, he squeezed a boil, which led to the development of sepsis – blood poisoning. Since this disease could not be treated during the composer’s lifetime, he died a week later.

Another incident occurred with Ekaterina Pavlovna (daughter of Emperor Paul I and his wife Maria Feodorovna). One morning she noticed a pimple on her lip. Like every girl preparing for an important event, she postponed it. The next day, Catherine visited the stud farm and in the evening complained to the doctors about a strange tumor she discovered on the right side of her face. The next day the temperature rose and the tumor spread further. Four days later Catherine died.

Now in medical practice, such cases are less common, and patients, as a rule, do not wait for complications and come on their own with complaints of inflammation or scars and age spots remaining after self-squeezing acne. And dermatologists are solving this problem.

What to do if inflammation appears in the nasolabial triangle area

“Any inflammation with a white center in the nasolabial triangle requires seeing a doctor,” says Maryana Abezivanova. But after cleansing the skin with a gentle product that does not contain aggressive ingredients, as an emergency aid, use a lotion or tonic with antiseptic properties (look for tea tree extracts, salicylic acid) and products with antibacterial ingredients (zinc, ichthyol, probiotic complexes, benzoyl peroxide, retinol).

The most important thing is to understand the cause of acne and eliminate it. Without understanding what is happening in the body, whether it is stress, lack of sleep, hormonal imbalance or problems with the gastrointestinal tract and uncontrolled sugar consumption, no results may be achieved from the local use of various drugs. Systemic multiple rashes accompanied by severe swelling and pain especially require an integrated approach and competent treatment.