Lucy Sarret
A bit of stubble burn might seem like a small price to pay for a good snog, but one doctor has issued a stark warning about the hidden risks of kissing someone with facial hair.
While we already know that locking lips can spread things like cold sores and flu bugs, beards and moustaches introduce a whole new level of concern, and with the rise in popularity of facial hair, this advice is even more relevant.
As it turns out, if your partner isn't keeping their moustache squeaky clean, you could be exposing yourself to some pretty unpleasant skin infections.
Dr Myro Figura took to social media to warn about the dangers of unkempt facial hair.
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In his video, he explained that kissing someone with a moustache can cause infections, particularly if the skin gets irritated or scratched in the process.
"If not clean, [it] can harbour a lot of bacteria like staph and strep, and when kissing, the beard can cause breaks in the skin, allowing bacteria to enter and cause an infection called impetigo." he said.
According to the NHS, impetigo is a highly contagious but typically mild skin infection that’s more common in children.
It usually starts as sores or blisters, which then burst and turn into crusty patches or scabs and the NHS notes that the sores can 'look a bit like cornflakes stuck to your skin', 'get bigger and spread to other parts of your body', and 'be itchy and are sometimes painful'.
While it’s not usually serious, it can be uncomfortable, and takes up to 10 days to clear with treatment.
Doctors often prescribe antibiotic creams or tablets, or in milder cases, hydrogen peroxide cream to help the skin heal.
While no one’s saying you should start avoiding men with facial hair altogether (unless you want to), dermatologists recommend the following tips to minimise the risks:
So, if your latest love interest is rocking a moustache, maybe it’s time to ask the big question: Do you actually wash that thing?