MASK OFF

Maskne is the new acne, and here’s what is causing it.

- Courtney Rubin

CALL IT A SIGN of the times: Korean skincare brands Dr. Jart+ and Peach & Lily offer collections of “maskne essentials” on their websites. Patch purveyor Hero Cosmetics recently posted an entry about maskne on its blog. But don’t dismiss maskne — acne and irritation from wearing a mask — as just another portmanteau to market skincare products.

“Oh, it’s a real thing,” said Dr. Mona Gohara, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. She herself has gotten maskne from her three layers of masks: a KN95 (similar to an N95) topped with a surgical mask to keep it clean, plus a face shield for procedures.

“Oh, my God, you can just feel things forming with the oil and sweat swishing around,” Gohara said.

Maskne — the most common kind is acne mechanica, aka the type of acne a football player may get where the helmet rubs — is also enough of a thing that the COVID-19 task force of the American Academy of Dermatology felt compelled to release advice on the subject.

Front-line workers in health care and other fields are most at risk because their masks are tighter fitting and they are wearing them longer. A research letter published in The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology reported that at least 83 per cent of health care workers in Hubei, China, suffered skin problems on the face. And anecdotally, doctors report an increase in acne flare-ups in people outside health care as well.

“Conversations about acne have hit a record high in my practice and in my direct message box on Instagram,” Dr. Whitney Bowe, a dermatologist in New York City said in an email. That’s because masks can worsen existing skin issues or cause new ones. Add the summer heat and humidity and you’ve got a petri dish for breakouts.