A woman from Georgia has issued a stark public health warning after a routine attempt to pop a pimple led to a severe infection and hospitalisation. Lindsay deOliveira, 32, learned the hard way about the dangers of the facial 'triangle of death'.
The Dangerous Pop That Sparked a Crisis
It began on an ordinary Monday morning when Lindsay noticed a typical-looking blemish near her nose. Like many people, she decided to pop it. The pimple was located within the perilous 'triangle of death', an area spanning from the nose to the corners of the mouth.
"It looked like a regular pimple, between my lip and my nose," Lindsay recounted. "There was nothing out of the ordinary at all." The day before, she had even taken professional family photographs with no sign of the impending trouble.
Rapid Escalation and Medical Emergency
Instead of healing, the area began to swell the next day. Her face started to droop, prompting a visit to urgent care. Doctors prescribed antibiotics, but her condition worsened dramatically. She returned to urgent care twice more before landing in the Emergency Room by Thursday.
"It was just like any other [pimple] – I had taken a shower and then wanted it to go away so I handled it like most people do," she said. The swelling was so severe that ER staff initially suspected a major allergic reaction.
Diagnosis: A Serious Bacterial Infection
Medical professionals diagnosed Lindsay with cellulitis, a serious bacterial skin infection affecting deeper tissue layers. The infection required aggressive treatment to prevent it from spreading to her bloodstream.
"I couldn't move half of my face," Lindsay explained. She underwent an MRI scan to ensure the infection had not reached her sinuses, eyes, or brain. Fortunately, scans showed her body had contained the infection.
Doctors switched her to two powerful intravenous antibiotics – Amoxicillin-Clavulanate and Bactrim. Within two hours of receiving the new drugs, the swelling began to subside significantly.
Recovery and a Lasting Warning
While the cellulitis cleared quickly and her face returned to normal within days, the aftermath of the powerful antibiotics left her feeling unwell for nearly six weeks. She has now recovered entirely, left with only a minor scar easily concealed with makeup.
Her message to others is unequivocal. Reflecting on the ordeal that stemmed from a simple pimple, Lindsay urges: "Please don't. Never again." Dermatologists consistently warn against popping pimples in this high-risk facial zone, where introduced bacteria can lead to dangerous infections.
