Do you have Mask-ne? Part I
Over the years, there have been several terms coined... Back-ne (acne on the back), Make-ne (makeup acne), and now we are hearing about Mask-ne. If you haven't already guessed, it is acne from wearing a mask. Estheticians around the world are seeing a huge increase in acne cases on the cheek, chin, and lip areas.
Why is this happening? While wearing a mask, 3 main culprits occur that aggravate those that are prone to having acne. These are friction, heat/humidity, and lack of oxygen to the skin.
Friction
Friction has been known to cause acne for years. The term that is used to describe this is called acne mechanica. This occurs due to pressure and friction on the skin. For example, a catcher that has acne around the face mask, a football player on the shoulders, or a polo player's chin strap. Even wearing a backpack, bra, etc where pressure results can cause acne to occur in those areas.
Heat and Humidity
Heat and humidity is a recipe for disaster. If you look at different climates, you will see this. Dr. James E. Fulton dedicated his life to seeking out treatments for the disease of acne. During his research, he found that acne had a higher prevalence in the Carribean, places like Miami and gulf coast cities. He speculated that the reason why heat and humidity play a role had to do with the excessive water content in the skin that could cause swelling inside the follicle, breaking down the structure.
Lack of Oxygen
Lack of oxygen is another trigger for mask-ne. When we look at the skin, it is important that air can flow into and out of the pore. When skin cells are sloughing off, the oxygen helps to keep the p (or c) acne bacteria from reproducing at an astronomical rate. In general, more acne occurs on the face due to the natural of the pores, sebum, etc. than on the body. So even though we wear clothing all year round, our faces are not normally covered.
Unfortunately, when wearing a mask, we are seeing the recipe of having all 3 -friction, heat/humidity, and lack of oxygen ... which is essentially a buffet for the bacteria to spread and reek havoc on the skin.
Whenever I see clients for acne, we work together becoming detectives to find out what might be the cause of the flare ups. If you diet is full of high salt, we limit or cut out those foods. If stress is the biggest aggravator, we work on incorporating yoga, deep breathing, and meditation to your life routine. The easiest way to help clear the skin would be to stop wearing a mask. In this world that we live in, that is not currently a possibility.
Stay tuned for the next blog posts where we talk about the solutions! These will be broken down into general solutions, plus treatment room and home care products that will help make the Mask-ne better.
Don't forget to
Breathe. Let Go. Relax.
Zoey Jolley, LE