Mask-related dermatological problems during COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of Egyptian population
Background During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, mask wearing was obligatory in many countries to decrease infection risk among individuals. However, long-term mask wearing was associated with the development of various adverse skin reactions. Objective To assess possible dermatological comp...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2024-08-01
|
| Series: | Journal of the Egyptian Women’s Dermatologic Society |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/jewd.jewd_86_23 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Background
During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, mask wearing was obligatory in many countries to decrease infection risk among individuals. However, long-term mask wearing was associated with the development of various adverse skin reactions.
Objective
To assess possible dermatological complications due to mask wear during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic among a sample of the Egyptian population.
Patients and methods
The present hospital-based cross-sectional study included 320 patients who had attended outpatient dermatology clinic of the university hospitals with any dermatological symptoms. Patients wore face surgical masks during the pandemic for at least 3 months during outdoor activity. All patients were subjected to detailed history taking about onset, duration of the skin condition, whether an initial attack or pre-existing condition, and complete dermatological examination to confirm the diagnosis and evaluate severity level.
Results
This study showed that long‐term mask use caused new-onset skin diseases and increased dermatological facial diseases. The most common skin finding was Maskne (46.9%), followed by contact dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, and rosacea (14.1, 9.4, and 7.8%, respectively), while the remaining 21.9% were complaining of nonmask-related dermatoses. There was a significant positive correlation between mask-wearing duration and disease severity (P<0.001).
Conclusion
Prolonged mask wearing could induce new-onset skin diseases and exacerbate chronic pre-existing conditions such as acne, contact dermatitis, perioral dermatitis, and rosacea. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2090-2565 |