Does the mask cause acne?
Many people complain of mask irritation, especially with prolonged use.
This is normal and inevitable for some professionals. Another annoying phenomenon is the appearance of blackheads and pimples, or the worsening of pre-existing skin changes.
Of course it’s a secondary problem that we can bear to contain the spread of the coronavirus, but let’s try to understand what happens and how to minimize the nuisance.
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Why do masks make pimples tick?
The intense sweating and breathing under the mask create strong humidity. This makes the skin more sensitive and blocks sebum and sweat in the covered area. Stress in these cases also plays its role, increasing the production of cortisol. This hormone in turn triggers an overproduction of sebum. Finally, prolonged rubbing causes skin problems.
It is therefore true that the use of these safety devices could worsen acne or seborrheic dermatitis. Someone even coined the term maskne to indicate the appearance or worsening of acne due to the masks.
What to do when the mask causes acne? Here’s how to fix it.
Proper facial cleansing is important to counteract this problem.
It is good to wash your face every morning and every evening, but also every time we remove the mask. Everyone has their own needs and there is no universal advice on which detergent to use. In principle, the choice should fall on a product that is primarily specific for the face, and which is delicate and soothing. Once a week, clay masks are highly recommended because they are detoxifying and purifying.
Replace or wash the mask frequently
Washable cotton masks tend to suffocate less skin and cause less chafing than FFP2 and FFP3. However, it is essential to wash these masks correctly before reusing them and they cannot be used for several consecutive days without having sanitized them. This rule is fundamental for health, but also avoids further bacterial contamination of the skin. When wearing surgical masks or FFP2 and FFP3, the recommendation is to replace them after each use.
Let’s skip the trick, take advantage of the coverage.
It may be a good idea to avoid using foundation. Either because it will not be seen, or will only serve to stain the mask, or because this will give the skin more chance of perspiring.
We could use the cover to apply the anti-pimple patches that are typically used at home or at night.
The moisturizer is a step that instead it would be good never to skip.
In case of exposure to the sun, even if in the city, sun protection should also be placed on the areas that will end up under the mask.
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