A tiny whitehead may not seem like cause for alarm. But when it appears in the wrong spot on your face, what starts as a minor blemish can turn into a medical emergency.
One Louisiana bartender thought she was dealing with a routine pimple until things got way more serious than she ever expected.
Woman Hospitalized Over Pimple
Louisiana bartender Madison (@madisonktt) documented her terrifying experience with what she thought was just a small pimple. Her series of videos has more than 5.5 million combined views.
In a video, Madison holds a compress to her face, with one side of her face severely swollen.
“Woke up with a tiny whitehead under my nostril on Friday. And by Sunday, half of my face was swollen,” she says in the first video.
“By Monday, my face was swollen so much that my—I almost couldn’t open my left eye. My lymph nodes were swollen. Went to the doctor. The doctor told me to go straight to the emergency room, so that’s where I went,” she says.
What Happened At The Hospital
Madison says the emergency room staff immediately admitted her to the hospital.
“They’ve had me on a very aggressive dose of antibiotics and steroids, just fighting this thing,” she explains.
Doctors had her switch between cold and hot compresses to try to break up the infection.
“So now I’m switched back to hot compress, trying to break up whatever’s in my face. And I should see the ENT tomorrow. He’s gonna decide whether or not they need to cut me open,” Madison says.
The experience made her realize just how serious the situation was.
“So, if you ever thought a pimple in the triangle of death was a myth, think again because that shit happened to me. And if I didn’t go to the doctor, I might have died,” she says. “So pay attention to your bodies. Be your own advocate. And speak up for yourself. Nobody else will.”
How’s She Holding Up?
In a follow-up video, Madison provides an update on her condition.
“Looking and feeling much better today. Pain has gone down by, like, 95%,” she says.
Madison still had significant swelling and pressure from her lip up to her orbital bone. And the ENT doctor was prepared to surgically extract the infection. But they discovered it had started draining on its own that morning.
“So he said he wants to see what else will come out on its own. So they’re gonna watch me for one more day,” she explains.
Madison says she stayed in the hospital for observation, concerned the infection could worsen again.
“I don’t wanna really leave here until I’m better anyways because I don’t trust this because it’s gone. It’s gotten better, and it’s gotten worse. And it’s just—it’s just too much,” Madison says.
She says she planned to stay one more night in the hospital. Once discharged, she would have multiple follow-up appointments: one with her primary care doctor, a referral to a dermatologist, and another with the ENT. The ENT planned to prescribe a nasal rub to help control bacteria, and her primary care doctor would order a full panel test to check for any autoimmune disorders or diseases.
In a final update, Madison shows that most of the swelling had gone down. She addresses commenters who speculated about the cause, clarifying it wasn’t a tooth abscess or related to her nose piercing.
“I did ask them to take the piercing out. They asked me to remove it for a CT scan, and I asked them to help me remove it, and they refused. So I refused to believe that it was a big deal,” she says.
The ENT wanted her discharged that day, and Madison was just waiting for the hospital staff to finalize her discharge papers.
What Is The Triangle Of Death?
The “triangle of death” or “danger triangle” refers to the area of the face from the bridge of the nose to the corners of the mouth. According to Cleveland Clinic, this zone is considered particularly dangerous because of its direct connection to the brain through the cavernous sinus, a network of large veins located behind the eye sockets.
An infection in this area has a small but real chance of traveling directly to the brain.
National Geographic reports that in rare cases, infections here have led to serious complications, including cavernous sinus thrombosis (a blood clot in the cavernous sinus), partial facial paralysis, brain abscess, meningitis, or even death.
The danger comes from the blood vessels in this central part of the face that drain into the cavernous sinus. When you pop a pimple or have an infection in this area, bacteria can potentially travel through these blood vessels straight to the brain.
Cleveland Clinic advises never popping pimples in the triangle of death. If you have a blemish in this area, the health site recommends applying a warm compress for 10 to 15 minutes to help draw pus to the surface, using pimple patches if it’s already opened, or seeing a dermatologist for safe treatment options.
Signs that an infection in this area is becoming serious include the infection spreading to cover more of an area, increasing swelling, fever, vision problems, severe headaches, or feeling confused. If you notice these symptoms, especially within five to 10 days of an infection starting, seek medical attention immediately.
While serious complications from triangle of death infections are rare, they’re serious enough that medical professionals pay special attention to any infections in this zone. Thanks to modern antibiotics, conditions like cavernous sinus thrombosis that were once almost certainly fatal are now typically treatable when caught early.
@madisonktt Story time
Commenters React
“Had no idea about the triangle of death. I just looked it up, surprising!” a top comment read.
“my ocd did NOT need to learn about the triangle of death this evening,” a person said.
“I’m a picker because of my anxiety and I really need to learn to keep my hands off my face,” another wrote.
“New fear unlocked,” a commenter added.
BroBible reached out to Madison for comment via TikTok direct message and comment. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.