The bumpy road ahead

In January this year marketing professional Meghna Bajaj felt confident enough to start attending physical meetings and occasionally squeeze in a restaurant meal with friends when time permitted Up until then she had spent most of her time holed up indoors ldquoWith cases on the wane it felt good to be out and about But within a few days I started seeing spots pop up on my face It skin eruptions had spouted around the mask lines Initially I presumed it to be dehydration so I started drinking more water and washing my face often with an antibacterial face wash But it got worse with timerdquoBajaj was battling an unfortunate side effect of daily maskwearing that is now a must to slow the transmission of COVID19 maskne or acne caused by wearing a maskMarketing professional Meghna Bajaj is on a dose of antibiotics to cure the skin infection and has been asked to switch to disposable masks instead of washable onesA research letter published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology in March 2020 reported that at least 83 per cent of healthcare workers in Hubei China suffered skin problems on the face ldquoThe general prevalence rate of skin damage caused by enhanced infectionprevention measures was 97 per cent among firstline healthcare workers The affected sites included the nasal bridge hands cheek and forehead with the nasal bridge the most commonly affected 831 per cent Among a series of symptoms and signs drynesstightness and desquamation were the most common symptomrdquo read the report Bajaj who experienced similar symptoms is currently on antibiotics prescribed by a dermatologist ldquoThe doctor said that while the spots looks exactly like acne itrsquos a much stronger infection I have been told to use only disposable masks which I had avoided because I didnrsquot want to add to the mounting bio wastagerdquoDr Manasi Shirolikar head dermatologist at Remedico an online dermatology service that helps users consult Indiarsquos doctors for skin or hair problems says this form of facial irritation has seen a steady uptick since the Coronavirus outbreak The portal saw its first case in April 2020 At the time Shirolikar says they received a lot of queries from frontliners whose job necessitated wearing the mask for long hours ldquoMaskne is an umbrella term to refer to a host of skin infections such as acne rosacea roezaysheuh a skin inflammatory condition that causes redness and pimples on your nose cheeks chin and forehead and contact dermatitis It is a red itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substancesynthetic fibres or an allergic reaction to it Just the way babies get with diapersrdquo The other skin condition that she says has seen an increase is folliculitis a skin problem that occurs when you get bacteria or a blockage in a tiny pocket of your hair follicle ldquoItrsquos more common among men and mimics the symptoms of acnerdquo she addsAmar Patnaik senior software consultant in Mumbai says the mask caused rashes and cuts at the back of the ears An ointment prescribed by the dermatologist has helpedAmar Patnaik senior software consultant in Mumbai says skin rashes led to cuts at the back of his ears ldquoThere was a time when I had to wear the mask for 12 hours a day five days a week Application of an ointment prescribed by the dermatologist has helpedrdquoAccording to Dr Rashmi Shetty dermatologist and founder of Ra Skin and Aesthetics in Mumbai and Reva Health amp Skin Hyderabad when the mask is worn right it ends up being tightly closed from the ends with no air coming in or escaping out ldquoExhaled air also has moisture in it so that sits within Also it tends to be warm so the temperature in that area goes high We donrsquot realise that skincare creams can actually mix with the moisture along with sweat and worsen the conditionrdquo Makeup lotions and sunscreen are known to aggravate maskne because they mix with facial perspiration ldquoMost of us perspire from the upper lip and around the mouth and nose So itrsquos best not to put any cream under your maskrdquo she suggests Dr Shirolikar says those who work as salespersons in malls and are involved in clientfacing jobs have no option but to use fullface makeup ldquoWe recommend that they take off the mask for 15 minutes as and when possible so that the pores can breatherdquoDr Manasi Shirolikar and Dr Rashmi ShettyDr Diksha Batra owner of the dental clinic Smile Essentials in Bandra says as dentists they end up spending long hours around the patientrsquos oral cavity the hub of the COVID19 virus Hence one of the first changes the pandemic brought for them was a switch from regular threeply surgical masks to an N95 ldquoOur work involves using aerosols which are generated from drilling and other pressure technology that we use We wear a respirator mask for aerosol procedures which is made out of silicon and covers more than half our face and has changeable filters on the outside The additional N95 mask with a 3ply surgical mask gets disposed after treating every patient it is mandatory for all other procedures including a simple patient consultrdquo she saysDentists typically wear a mask a minimum of eight to 12 hours barring breaks for drinking water or eating a meal Dr Batra has resorted to improving and changing the fit and fabric of the mask ldquoSofter materials and adjustable straps made us more comfortable We also ensured we changed our approach by hydrating more and using vitamins to maintain our own healthrdquo she saysDespite the perils Dr Shirolikar says they make sure that the importance of wearing masks is not lost on patients ldquoIt is no fun to wear it but itrsquos the only powerful and lifesaving tool we have against COVID19 And we remind every patient who consults usrdquoHow to prevent maskne Keep the mouth area and cheeks clean Avoid using sunscreen or other skin products in areas touched by the mask Removing the mask every two to three hours makes a difference ldquoItrsquos a good idea to also change the mask in the day so that the bacteria that has been formingdoesnrsquot have the chance to grow and disrupt the skinrdquo says Dr Shetty Donrsquot overexfoliate ldquoPeople often think they need to dry out acne but drying out your skin can actually lead to more breakoutsrdquo says Dr Shirolikar The minute you remove the mask make sure you wash your face and itrsquos clean