Face mask-induced skin changes: a new common phenomenon during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome, and wearing a mask is an important preventive measure. However, long-term use can cause “maskne,” or mask-induced acne. This study evaluated the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and severity of mask-induced acne and its effect on pre-existing dermatosis using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions on six primary topics: demographic data, type of face mask, dermatological symptoms after using a mask, preexisting dermatological conditions, the duration of use, and the effects of mask use on existing dermatological conditions. We included 1,025 participants; 48.6 % had dermatological symptoms after using masks. The most common symptoms were red papules (33.8 %) and itching (27.2 %). Individuals who wore masks for more than four hours daily experienced more dermatological symptoms, for example, healthcare providers, who had a higher risk of mask-related dermatosis than participants with other occupations. Moreover, masks significantly increased the severity of rosacea, contact dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis. These results suggest that board-certified dermatologists should assess patients in larger-scale studies to determine adequate management strategies.

Mask-Induced Facial Dermatoses in the Saudi Arabian Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…These outcomes are congruent with the most reported presentations among the studied participants which were reported to be acne and nonspecific erythema. These findings are slightly different from previous research done by Bukhari et al and Althobaiti et al [ 10 , 19 ]. Almost half of the participants did follow the preventative measure to prevent mask-induced dermatosis with oral hygiene (66.1%) being the most applied preventative measure and silicon-based barrier tape being the least followed preventative measure.…”

“…In this study, 44.4% of the study participants had mask-induced dermatosis and that is similar to a previous study done by Bukhari et al in Saudi Arabia in which they found that 48.6% had dermatological manifestations associated with face mask use [ 10 ]. Furthermore, when observing the overall prevalence of face mask-induced dermatosis, it was noted that 42.6% of participants had masks followed by nonspecific erythema (18.7%).…”

“…One of the most effective protections against COVID-19 is wearing a mask. Therefore, wearing a face mask in public areas is required in many countries including Saudi Arabia [ 10 ]. Previous studies have revealed that wearing a face mask for a prolonged period of time promotes friction, occlusion, and hyperhidrosis, and this compromises the skin and epidermal integrity and appears as facial dermatosis [ 11 ].…”

Prevalence and Association of Dry Eye Disease and Dry Skin Post COVID 19 Pandemic

“…Older patients, who are more vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, were particularly found to have dry skin and irritation [28].…”

“…Therefore, our study aims to determine the prevalence of DED among the general population and investigate its association with dry skin during the pandemic. The scores for DED symptoms ranged from 0 to 100, classifying them as none (0-12), mild (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22), moderate (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32), or severe (33). To identify DED, we used a cut off value of ≥22.…”