Emily Chan
Pimples are just a part of the human experience. There’s no escaping them unless you’re one of the rare individuals who consistently have flawless skin. For most of us, that is not the case, and our faces don’t get to be free of blemishes for very long.
When pimples do pop up on our faces, we tend to pick and prod at them, which is not recommended by skin specialists, especially if your zit is in the “triangle death” zone.
When Brooke Hyland (@brookehyland_1), a former dancer on the hit reality TV show “Dance Moms,” posted a video on TikTok showcasing the massive pimple she had had for two days, it led to a discussion about the “triangle of death.”
In the video, she pointed to a pimple near the edge of her eyebrow that was so red and inflamed it had caused her eye to swell shut.
Many commenters started bringing up how her pimple was near the “triangle of death” and may be infected.
After going to the doctor, Brooke was prescribed antibiotics. She also took to TikTok again to explain what the triangle of death is, hoping to spread awareness of the phenomenon and help others avoid having a similar experience.
The term refers to the section of your face from the bridge of your nose down to the corners of your mouth.
While reading from an article, Brooke says, “Basically, they recommend not popping pimples anywhere on your face, but especially in these areas, and that’s because there are blood vessels that have direct lines to your skull, like your brain, and it can lead to very serious infections that can spread very rapidly.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, the triangle of death can be thought of as “a direct line to your brain” thanks to your cavernous sinus, which is the network of large veins behind your eye sockets. The sinus helps drain blood from your brain.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
