We aren’t going to beat around the bush: Wearing face masks is one of your best defenses against COVID-19, but they’re not always great for your skin.
You’ve probably seen a lot of chatter concerning mask-induced breakouts ― aka “maskne” ― given that wearing face masks for longer durations of time can trigger breakouts, blemishes and whiteheads.
Take it from board-certified dermatologist Paru Chaudhari: During the coronavirus pandemic, masks are “one of the few measures we can take to protect ourselves and our neighbors. It is important to remember that even if you are getting maskne, you’ll want to keep wearing that mask in order to cover your mouth and nose.”
But the good news is that maskne isn’t hard to treat. At the same time, in order to tame breakouts effectively, it’s key to understand the truths and myths associated with this condition.
So we tapped Chaudhari and other board-certified dermatologists to shed light on the facts and falsehoods of maskne, including how to treat it and when to see a dermatologist.