Georgia woman pops a pimple. Then she ends up in the ER: ‘Lesson learned’
Waking up to a pimple on the face can be annoying. That red dot, in any size, can throw a wrench in any plans. Some may wait for it to disappear on its own, or cover it with makeup and others will pick at it. While it may be quicker to squeeze the life out of a zit, this Georgia-based woman learned it’s not always the safest approach after a pop went dangerously wrong.
TikTok creator Lindsay deOliveira (@neverdulldeos1) issues this warning in her car. “Do not pop a pimple,” she warns as her mouth is numb, clapping her hands with each word for emphasis. “This cured my OCD of pimple popping.”
Then, she describes what she did. “So, I went to the doctor for the third time now just cause this whole area is now hard and really painful,” she explains, pointing to the angry red pimple above her lip on the frozen side of her face. “The doctor said that it is a good thing that my body has walled off the infection and is trying to fight it.”
In the meantime, the content creator has received treatment for it. “I got the shot of antibiotics and I’m on two oral antibiotics. So, we will see,” deOliveria concludes.
Were viewers deterred?
The video amassed a whopping 5.6 million views. deOliveira’s warning worked, successfully stopping many from their pimple-popping ways.
“Consider me scared straight,” one viewer commented.
“You know what… I think you’ve learned my lesson. I’ll stop popping pimples,” another agreed.
Moreover, she wasn’t the only one who learned this lesson the hard way. Others posted photos of their experience with swollen faces in the same areas from extracting their own zits.
“DUDE THIS HAPPENED TO ME BEFORE,” one commenter shared.
“Been there! Ended up with MRSA and had to get it drained. I still have a scar,” a second revealed.
“Same thing happened to me last year. It was sooooo painful. I couldn’t get my piercing off, it was slicing my lip,” a third recalled.
How did this happen?
In a previous video, deOliveira explained how this happened. “My face is [expletive],” she said, covering her mouth. “I had a pimple two days ago. I went to urgent care and I got some antibiotics. I took the first dose last night.”
When she lowered her hand, she revealed the inflamed spot on her face. “I’m swollen from here,” she said, gesturing to underneath her eye. “Down my lip. So I’m gonna go get seen today, and we will see what happens.”
What was the diagnosis?
After the content creator posted her PSA, the bump did not improve. Subsequently, she had to go to the ER. Once she arrived home and showered, she had an update. “I’m back from the ER. I’m going to tell you the diagnosis,” deOliveira said in a follow-up video.
As she speaks, her lips are more mobile, and the swelling has decreased significantly with the new antibiotics. “The MRI came back clear. This did not spread to my brain, to my eyes, [or] sinuses. We’re good there,” the content creator shared. “So, the diagnosis, it is cellulitis.”
Did the cellulitis ever clear up?
Indeed, it did. “I’m fine,” deOliveira said in a recent update video while eating a chocolate ice cream bar. Evidently, her face was clear and zit-free, moving her lips with ease, courtesy of the numerous antibiotics she had to take. However, it did take its toll.
“I just ended up getting so sick from the antibiotics and then have been so backed up on my business. That’s where all of my attention has been going to, ” the content creator elaborated. Not only that, it did leave a mark. “I have a little scar. Hopefully, it goes away in time,” she added, indicating where the bump used to be.
How can popping pimples be deadly?
The ‘triangle of death’ is located on the bridge of the nose to the corner of the mouth on the face. The large veins beneath the eyes travel directly to the brain, according to the Cleveland Clinic. When picking at acne in this area, bacteria can enter the bloodstream and create an infection. In extreme cases, it can cause blood clotting in the sinus, resulting in death.
@neverdulldeos1 Replying to @Darbikinz latest update. Never pop a pimple apparently. #fyp #update ♬ original sound – Lindsay deOliveira, CBC
The Mary Sue reached out to deOliveria via TikTok comment and direct message.
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