Fox 13 Memphis posted "Are you experiencing ‘maskne’?" featuring Visha Skincare founder, Dr. Purvisha Patel's expert tips on maskne, a skin condition that causes someone’s face to break out with acne, bumps or rash, as well as how to avoid it.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Experts said face masks are a great defense against COVID-19 but many people said they’re experiencing ‘maskne’.
It’s a skin condition that causes someone’s face to break out with acne, bumps or rash.
Doctors in the Mid-South said that maskne is a real skin condition.
People who normally do not experience breakouts on their face are now saying they’re having problems.
Just around the chin and cheek is where Laketa Byrd-Hall said she’s having serious problems with her skin.
“Where ever that mask is sitting that is where the breakouts are happening,” Byrd-Hall said.
Byrd-Hall is among the many people across the country experiencing ‘maskne’ from wearing facemasks. The stay at home mom said the skin problem is also affecting her children.
“Their face is actually breaking out as well and they are young,” Byrd-Hall said.
There is a reason, Dr. Purvisha Patel with Advanced Dermatology and Skin Cancer Associates said, when heat and sweat are trapped from exhaling and inhaling in the mask it can cause bacteria to form and irritate the skin and lead to acne flares.
“The skin is actually getting covered by something and the pores are actually getting blocked which means there is no air passing in and out of the skin,” Patel said.
She recommends having a daily skincare routine to help prevent problems
“It’s very important you wash your face before you put your mask on," she said. “It is very important you wash your face and your hands when you take your mask off.”
She also recommends keeping it simple by getting back to the basics to help prevent acne.
“With skin health, always start with the basics," Patel said. “We need six glasses of water, eight hours of sleep. A multi-vitamin and a probiotic because that is what our skin needs at baseline to just be healthy.”