Maskne impacts half of all health workers: Study

More than half of all healthcare workers in a recent study have developed an acne-related skin condition due to extended mask wearing.

The condition, called maskne, develops when friction between the mask’s cloth and skin heats up your face, modifies your skin’s microbiota and then produces oil or sebum which causes acne.

A recent study of 101 healthcare workers screened for facial skin conditions revealed maskne acne was prevalent in 55.4% of these workers.

Researchers looked at how the different dermatological conditions triggered by mask-use were diagnosed.

They concluded that maskne requires the correct use of skin care cosmetics for acne-prone skin and the use of topical treatments, like sebum-regulators and emollients, for others. They found “home-spun” remedies only worsened the condition.