Is it really a bad idea to peel a sunburn or pluck a nose hair? Dr. Mehmet Oz reveals the consequences of four common habits, which he writes about in his magazine "Dr. Oz The Good Life."
What happens when you:
Go to bed without brushing your teeth:
If you do it just once in awhile, it's not a big deal. The bigger problem is, at night your mouth gets dry, and when it's dry the bacteria love that. They love the dark, moist environment — they grow. If you're going to skip brushing, skip it in the morning.
Your breath won't be too pleasant, but at least you won't be rotting your teeth.
Peel off a sunburn:
After a little bit of sunburn, the skin starts to peel like a croissant. There's a very beneficial reason for the skin peeling, it protects the skin beneath it. When you peel, you can scar your skin beneath it. Wear sunblock, of course. But if you're burned, take aloe and put it over the skin that is beginning to crack and crumble and peel. That way, you'll protect that young skin and won't be tempted to peel.
Related: What's killing us? It's mostly our own bad habits
Pluck a nose hair:
Folks love to go into their noses. But I tell people about the "triangle of death" — the triangle between your nose and mouth. If you go in there and pull that hair out, you get a little blood lost in there. Blood allows the bacteria in your nose to grow in there. Since veins in the facial area lack protective valves, the bacteria could theoretically enter your bloodstream and lead to infections elsewhere in the body. Don't ever pluck nose hairs.
If you have a grandpa-like hair coming out of your nostrils, snip it with curve-tipped scissors, with no sharp edges, or a grooming device. Do not pull the hair.
Related: Kick bad habits for good using the 1-minute rule
Drink a glass of wine on antibiotics
If you drink alcohol while taking antibiotics, the pills will still fight off the bacteria making you sick. But mixing the meds with alcohol can cause more side effects, such as nausea and dizziness. Some antibiotics, including Bactrim, Flagyl and Tindamaz, are known to have particularly severe effects when mixed with booze. Best to stick to sparkling cider until you are well.