Three Things a Dermatologist Would Never Do (And You Shouldn’t Either!)

We all have our non-negotiables when it comes to skincare and hygiene, but when a board-certified dermatologist gives you her top three "never-evers," you might want to listen up! Dr. Schneider is here to spill the tea on what she absolutely refuses to do—and trust us, you’ll want to take notes.

1. Go Barefoot in Public Places

Picture this: you’re at the gym, just crushed your workout, and decide to stroll barefoot through the locker room. No big deal, right? WRONG. Dr. Schneider says she would never go barefoot in any public space—whether it’s a gym, pool, or communal shower. Why? Foot fungus.

Yep, that’s right. Athlete’s foot, toenail fungus—these lovely little problems are just waiting for a chance to latch onto your bare feet. Fungus thrives in moist, warm environments, so public showers and pool decks are practically their playground. Save your soles (literally) by always wearing flip-flops or shower shoes.

2. Pick at Warts (or Touch Someone Else’s)

We know, we know—sometimes the temptation to pick at a wart can be strong. But here’s why you should never, ever give in: warts are caused by a virus (the human papillomavirus, or HPV, to be exact). This means they’re contagious. Not only can you spread them to other parts of your body, but you can also pass them on to other people. Gross, right?

If you’re treating a wart at home, Dr. Schneider recommends applying the medication and using a dedicated instrument (like a nail file) to gently file it down. Just make sure that file never touches anything else—especially your nails. You do not want to end up with warts under your fingernails. Yuck.

3. Skip Washing Her Face Before Bed

We get it—sometimes you’re exhausted, and the idea of washing your face feels like a Herculean task. But Dr. Schneider wouldn’t dream of skipping this step. Think about it: you’ve been out in the world all day, collecting dirt, oil, sunscreen, makeup, and environmental gunk on your skin. Letting that sit on your face overnight? Hard pass.

Not only can it lead to clogged pores and breakouts, but it can also contribute to premature aging. Yes, you heard that right. Leaving all that stuff on your skin can speed up the formation of wrinkles and dullness. So, no matter how tempting it is to skip your routine, always wash your face before hitting the pillow.

Final Thoughts

These might sound like simple rules, but they can make a big difference in keeping your skin (and feet) healthy. If Dr. Schneider won’t do it, maybe we shouldn’t either! Got more questions for the doc? Drop them in the comments!

Want the transript for this video instead?  I'm not gonna gate keep it anymore. Here are three things that I would never do as a board certified dermatologist. I'm Dr. Schneider. I'm a board certified dermatologist and a MO surgeon, and here we go. Number one, I would never go barefoot in a public pool, in a public gym, um, basically in any public place.

Um, you can get foot fungus. Yuck. Like, do you want toenail foot, fungus, athlete's foot? Absolutely not. So number one, don't go barefoot. Um, number two, I would never touch anybody else's warts or pick at any, any warts pick at. I would never pick at warts. Um, it's a virus. It's contagious. You can spread it on yourself, you can spread it to another part of your body.

Um, certainly it's a good idea if you have warts to, if you're treating at home, to put medication on and then use some instrument, like a nail file to kind of. File it down, pare it down, is what we call it. I would never use that nail file anywhere else. You do not wanna spread warts. Certainly don't file your nails with it.

You can get warts under there. Yuck. So I would never touch or pick at warts. And number three, I would never go to bed without washing my face. You're wearing sunscreen every day, right? You gotta wash that off. You're out in the world. You're getting toxins, you're getting environmental exposures on your face.

You've got to wash it off. Maybe you're wearing makeup, gotta wash it off. You do not want that sitting on your face. It can lead to premature aging and it's just gross. So wash your face. Okay. Those were the three things I would never skip doing as a dermatologist. Do you have questions? Leave them below.