Failing to bathe properly can cause a potentially fatal infection, according to an expert.
Lindsey Zubritsky, who calls herself Dermguru on TikTok, posted a video detailing the three parts of your body you’re probably not washing enough.
“I’m a dermatologist and these are the places where you absolutely need to wash more often,” she said in her video, which has more than 3 million views.
Listen: point number one is behind the ear.
If you put your finger behind your ear and “notice an odor or smell something, you should wash it more,” Zubritsky warned, explaining that dandruff, sebum and other buildup on the head often accumulates there.
The second most neglected place is the belly button – and what happens if you don’t clean it can be difficult to swallow.
If neglected, the belly button can develop an omphalolith, also known as a belly button stone.
“This is a very common area for sweat, debris and dirt buildup to collect,” Zubritsky said.
“In fact, if you don’t clean enough, you will have so much debris and dirt that you will develop a belly button stone that looks like this,” she said while sharing a photo of a dirty stone. like a monstrosity in someone’s belly button.
Lastly, you’re just skimping on hygiene if you don’t regularly wash the underside of your nails.
“When you’re showering, you really need to run a brush under your nails to get rid of dirt, debris, and buildup,” she explained.
Failure to clean these three areas properly could mean you have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a bacteria that is resistant to several antibiotics.
Untreated MRSA infections can lead to sepsis, the body’s extreme — and sometimes deadly — response to an infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms of MRSA infection can include swelling, heat, redness and pain.
“If you continue to have bacterial skin infections, you could be a MRSA colonizer in these areas,” warned Zubritsky.
The Post has reached out to the derm for additional comment.
Meanwhile, her followers took to the comments section of her video to thank her and tell her about their own cleaning habits.
“Every day I remind myself that I am cleaner than most people,” said one.
“I was shocked to see how many people didn’t wash their belly buttons… I found out the hard way as an operating room nurse,” lamented another.
Zubritsky isn’t the only person encouraging her TikTok followers to improve their bathing habits.
Last year, Dr. Jen Caudle shared the five body parts people don’t wash enough. She included Zubritsky’s three spots and also told people to be sure to wash their legs as well as their toes.