DES MOINES, Iowa — More people are heading back to work, meaning they're spending a lot of their time wearing a face mask.
While a face mask is one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of COVID-19, it can also bring about an unfortunate side effect: "maskne."
Maskne, or "mask acne," can generally looks like rashes, redness and irritation or scaling around the nose and mouth. Some even experience tiny pimple clusters from wearing their mask for so long.
This condition is caused by a humid environment inside the mask, and it's more likely to happen if it's worn for an extended period of time.
Dr. Roger Ceilley, a dermatologist, said that over the last three months, he's been seeing a rise of people with this condition.
"You change your environment. You take it into a very humid environment the skin swells up your pores tend to get blocked any bacteria that might be in the pores tends to over grow a little bit and that causes the inflammation," Dr. Ceilley said.
If you can't wash your face immediately, Dr. Ceilley recommends using a non-soap cleanser, like Cetaphil, to wash your face and then wipe it off.
He also said that alternating between face masks can make a big difference.
Acne treatment also works. If any signs of maskne don't go away, visit a dermatologist.
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