The Triangle of Death: Can popping pimples actually kill you?
When I was a teenager, my mom warned me to never aggravate or pop a pimple if it's on my nose. She told me that the daughter of a friend of a friend (not a typo) was prohibited by a doctor to never get "the triangle of death” on her face infected if she didn't want to die. To me, it sounded a lot like an urban legend: it evoked images of the Bermuda triangle in my head, and the third-degree anecdotal “proof” seemed pretty dubious. Still, being an obedient daughter, I did avoid picking at pimples whenever they grew in this so-called “danger area” because it seemed better to be safe than sorry.
These four acne triggers may be the reason you never stop breaking out
I honestly never thought that there would come a day when I could confidently say (and that other people would actually agree) that my skin is in a good place. I’m crossing all my toes and fingers that it will remain as it is, with less breakouts, bumps, and visible pores compared to a few months ago. I now know that it takes a good amount of discipline to keep my skin in good condition but it’s definitely possible.
Here's how to survive a hormonal breakout, according to a dermatologist
Just when you thought those awkward teenage breakouts were over, it comes back haunting you as an adult. This happened to me when I started my first job. It's fun to work in advertising but the long hours and piles of deliverables can often be stressful. While most of what I do is desk work, I do always want to look my best at all times! Dealing with day-to-day stresses on top of work - that’s when I found my face ridden with acne.
FYI: Here's how to deal with the four stages of having a breakout
Here's what you should know about me: I've suffered from breakouts since I was 12. Unfortunately, I enjoyed picking at them and because I was barely a teen and didn't know any better, I didn't have a skincare routine. For years, I was basically the living epitome of what NOT to do if you don't want to make your breakouts worse!
Reader question: How will you know if your shampoo is breaking you out?
Hello Ms Liz and all the readers :) I hope you could answer my question. I recently tried another variant of shampoo kasi I was getting tired of the scent of the old one. I just started two days ago and just today I noticed a few bumps on my forehead near the hairline. I don't know if it's the shampoo or the hormones as my period's approaching. I just wanna know how I can avoid getting serious breakouts caused by hair care products in the future and how to distinguish them from a normal breakout. Thanks! - Nerys
Hi Nerys! This is an excellent question because I feel that a lot of us may be unaware that hair products are as guilty of causing breakouts as skincare. Thing is, whatever's applied there and on our scalp can easily migrate to our face! When I was younger i would ALWAYS get pimples and I can never tell what causes them. Until I switched to my current (and unglamorous) shampoo - Head and Shoulders - the pimples did not stop.
I invest in good skincare but so far there is only one shampo that doesn't break me out after regular use. So yeah, this is pretty important! I've gone through a LOT of breakouts caused by hair products, so my advice is to observe a new hair care product closely the first couple of weeks.
So how will you know if you shampoo is breaking you out? Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do you usually break out on those sections of your face/body? Usually, breakouts caused by hair products happen on the chin and near the hair line. If you don't normally get pimples there, then it's likely your new hair care is causing it.
Even if you're breaking out somewhere else, it might be because your hair tends to touch that area (like the cheeks and back).
2. Is it the only new thing you're using? I strongly recommend using new products only one at a time so you can isolate any effects you get from them. I know how exciting it is to use new things all at once, but a bit of restraint and patience will save you a lot of trouble and backtracking in the long run!