As more people use masks some notice skin troubles

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — During the pandemic, medical experts have encouraged people to wear a mask, but some say the masks have left marks on their face.

Health care workers are some of the first to highlight the toll masks are taking on their faces.

According to the BC Nurses Union president, Christine Sorensen, nurses are finding bruises on their face after wearing their masks for long periods.

“We’ve heard about a number of surgical masks that had a diesel smell, nurses were using essential oils to cover the smell, and they had headaches and even some reported getting blisters on their lips,” Sorensen says.

The BC Centre for Disease Control has also released some recommendations for healthcare workers saying, “The continuous, extended and repetitive use of PPE, including masks, gloves, and safety glasses/goggles may cause adverse skin reactions.”

Sorensen adds nurses are handing down tips to each other to prevent breakouts, helping each other with the fit, and preventing sores behind the ears.

And while more people opt into covering their faces as well, some people are starting to notice issues to their skin.

“We are trapping a lot of moisture and dirt on our skin and there’s a little bit more friction and heat than is supposed to happen,” Dermatologist Dr. Vincent Richer says.

The new term coined for the condition is “Maskne,” and some Korean beauty brands have even come out with products advertised specifically to address the symptoms associated with wearing a mask, like acne, peeling skin, and rashes.

But Richer suggests you may not need to spend a lot of cash to prevent the condition.

“We would want to wash with a gentle soap-free cleanser morning and night and then put a moisturizer on top of that, that might seem a little counterintuitive but the moisture protects your skin from all that heat and friction in that area from clogging up those pores,” Richer says.

Richer adds another tip is to avoid wearing makeup in the areas that will be covered and take care of your mask.

“We should care for it like our underwear, wash it regularly, and don’t share it with anyone.”

– With files from Nikitha Martins