Beware the dangers of the "triangle of death" on your face

Professor Joshua Zeichner, a respected dermatologist at Mount Sinai Hospital, highlights a particularly dangerous area on the face – the so-called triangle of death.

This area has a venous circulation that directly connects it to the brain, making it potentially risky. Squeezing pimples here can lead to catastrophic outcomes.

The "triangle of death" is characterized by the specific arrangement of blood vessels: the facial vein, the superior and inferior ophthalmic veins, and the angular vein. These vessels are connected to the cavernous sinus, which is located inside the skull.

"Moreover, the veins and venous plexuses in this area generally do not have valves, which can lead to reverse blood flow. In practice, this means that if squeezing a pimple were to lead to an infection, and that infection led to sepsis, the infection could spread very quickly through the blood vessels and cause intracranial complications," says Joshua Zeichner, professor of dermatology, in "Health."

The cavernous sinus, a large vein that drains blood to the brain, provides a direct pathway for bacteria to reach the brain. Therefore, any skin manipulations in this area are highly inadvisable.

As a result, squeezing a pimple in this region can cause serious intracranial complications, which are life-threatening.

"The cavernous sinus is the name of the large vein that drains blood to the brain, creating a connection from our exterior to our interior (...). In the case you pick at a pimple and an infection develops, the worst scenario is that the infection spreads from the skin through the sinus," warned Professor Joshua Zeichner during a conversation with "Health".

Symptoms of an infection may include fever, headache, swelling around the eyes, and uncontrolled eye movements.

It is worth remembering that squeezing pimples, although not always as dangerous, is also not advisable in other areas of the face.