Remember when you were a kid learning how to take a bath and your mom said, “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears!” According to a viral TikTok video by dermatologist Lindsey Zubritsky (@Dermguru on TikTok), your mother was right.
In a post with over 3.3 million views, Zubritsky reveals the places you “absolutely need to be washing more often than you are.” They are behind the ears, beneath the fingernails and in the belly button. Zubritsky says that failure to keep those areas clean can result in some severe health problems that can be life-threatening.
First, let’s take a look behind the ear.
If you put your finger behind your ear and “notice an odor to it or you feel something you should be washing it more,” Zubritsky says. Dandruff, sebum, other hair, and materials from the hair and head can build up behind the ear, leading to dermatitis.
@dermguru Think twice next time you take a shower #showertok #skintips #hygienetips #dermguru #staph #mrsa #skininfection #folliculitis #dermexplains#greenscreen
Next, let’s do a little navel-gazing.
Zubritsky says the belly button is a common area to collect sweat, debris and dirt buildup. According to the dermatologist, some extremely gross things can happen if you don’t clean there often enough. After watching this video, you will never forget to clean your belly button again.
“In fact, if you’re not cleaning it enough, you’ll have so much debris and dirt in there that you’ll develop a navel stone that looks like this,” she said as she shared a photo of a black stone protruding from someone’s belly button. The stone-like object is known as an omphalith and it may require surgical removal.
Finally, take a look beneath your nails.
“When you’re showering, you really need to get under those nails with a scrub brush to get rid of the dirt, debris and buildup,” she explained. Failure to keep your nails clean can lead to infections and pinworms.
Zubritsky concludes the video with a serious warning. If you don’t keep those 3 areas of your body clean, you could become a carrier of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). MSRA is a bacteria that is resistant to several antibiotics.
According to the Mayo Clinic, MRSA can lead to staph infections that produce painful boils that require surgical draining. In severe cases, they can burrow deep into the skin, leading to life-threatening infections in the bloodstream, bones, joints, heart valves and lungs.
Zubritsky has 1.1 million followers on TikTok and 576,000 on Instagram. Her social media fame has opened up a world of opportunities for the dermatologist.
“My work on social media has provided me with the opportunity to work with the American Academy of Dermatology on their social media campaigns and become an editor in the prestigious Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology,” she told Washington & Jefferson College. “My platform has allowed beauty editors from some of the biggest news outlets and magazines to consult with me on editorial pieces, and I have been featured in Forbes, CNN, Yahoo!, Vogue, Women’s Health, Allure, and many more as an expert dermatologist.”