'Maskne' Becoming Common Complaint With Face Mask Requirements In Place
(CBSDFW.COM) - It's a new term, but it's not a new concept. "Maskne" is a collection of skin disorders caused by irritation from a mask. And now it's affecting more than football players and frontline workers.
Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lisa Pruett said "maskne" is a common complaint amongs her patients these days.
"Definitely we're having patients come in specifically for 'maskne,' and then I'm also having a lot of patients who are coming in for their annual skin exams, and I have their remove their mask, and then they bring it up to me," she said.
She said the list of contributing factors is long such as heat and sweat, creating moisture trapped beneath a face covering.
"Bacteria and yeast love to grow in that environment," Dr. Pruett said.
Doctors say one type of mask isn't better or worse than any other when it comes to "maskne." They say the most important factor is keeping them clean.
"You really want to think of your mask almost like underwear. You really want to wear a new one every day," said Dr. Pruett. "If you put the same one on day after day, you just have more increased risk of inflammation."
She also said if you don't wash your face everyday, now is the time to start. Use a gentle cleanser morning and night. If you have a breakout, use an acne cleanser. And moisturize your skin.
"The reason why we tell you to moisturize is because we're wanting you to repair your skin barrier that's getting broken down by the mask all day," she said.
All ways to mitigate the flare ups with mask-wearing in our foreseeable future.
"Masks are important right now, and we can manage all of the irritation," she said,
