stephanier.1765 Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 Is anyone else noticing skin problems on their face from wearing face masks? At first I thought the red spots were acne even though I haven't had acne in ages and even though the spots were in places I normally don't get acne, such as near my ears. Acne medication did nothing for them nor kept them from appearing. Then I thought the spots were bites. We had gone through a flea problem when we brought in a stray pregnant cat. We caught it early and stopped the spread quickly. I spot check the animals every day and I haven't seen a flea in a long time so I don't think the spots are bites either. It has to be the masks. Maybe my detergent aggravates the skin on my face even though everywhere else is fine? It's driving me crazy trying to figure this out so I thought I'd ask here to see if anyone else is having the same problems. Quote
Jean in Newcastle Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 I wear a respirator (so tight seal) and I definitely get face mask face. I have wrinkles for a while after taking it off and since my respirator is hot, I am sweating under there so I could see having acne from that. Medical professionals who wear respirators for twelve hour shifts have bruises from the masks. But I am safer from the effects of COVID19 so I will take it. 1 Quote
MEmama Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 I only wear a mask once a week or so to the grocery or my office, but I have noticed I’ve had a couple breakouts along my jawline that I haven’t had in decades. My new fabric masks just came in the mail; I’m hoping those won’t contribute to the issue. I agree it might just be from trapped sweat. They are hot—I’m dreading wearing one this summer! 1 Quote
mathnerd Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 Because of sweat under the mask (temps 70s to 90s around here), I get rashes when I go out for walks (masks are mandatory in my area). I usually clean off my face with cool water and gentle soap after I arrive home and that helps. I try to let my face air dry instead of wiping with a towel. Medical professionals who have to wear it all day have lines and bruises on their face 😞 1 Quote
MEmama Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 48 minutes ago, peacelovehomeschooling said: Where did you order them from and are you happy with them? I ordered them from https://nuagemasks4all.com/products/masks4all-facemask-3-pack, mostly because I prefer the style (ear loops and snug up the bridge of the nose). I haven’t worn one out yet, but the fit seems good and doesn’t interfere with glasses. They have a pocket for a filter, which I also wanted. I’m not sure what I’ll use yet, but am glad for the option. Quote
73349 Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 It sounds like you have sensitive skin on your face. I'd try unscented detergent and no fabric softener, and rinsing with cool water and patting dry on arriving at home. How long do you have to wear it at a time? 1 Quote
Arcadia Posted May 11, 2020 Posted May 11, 2020 (edited) 4 hours ago, stephanier.1765 said: At first I thought the red spots were acne even though I haven't had acne in ages and even though the spots were in places I normally don't get acne, such as near my ears. Heat rash. Also the binding on the mask probably rub against the skin there. I have had eczema exactly at the seams of my clothing. I use my balaclava as face masks if I am not using an earloop mask. The earloop mask is less snug so doesn’t cause an eczema flare for me. 2 hours ago, mathnerd said: Because of sweat under the mask (temps 70s to 90s around here), I get rashes when I go out for walks (masks are mandatory in my area). It’s not mandatory in my city so people are going for walks without masks, just wear mask before going into stores. Edited May 11, 2020 by Arcadia Autocorrect 1 Quote
stephanier.1765 Posted May 11, 2020 Author Posted May 11, 2020 1 hour ago, whitehawk said: It sounds like you have sensitive skin on your face. I'd try unscented detergent and no fabric softener, and rinsing with cool water and patting dry on arriving at home. How long do you have to wear it at a time? Not long. I only wear them while shopping and remove them when I get to the car. Today I tried washing them with Dreft because I had some on hand from washing things for grandchildren but if that doesn't work I'll look for the unscented. I'll also try the cool water as well. Thank you and thank everyone else too! On the positive side, at least my mask covers the spots. 😂 I'm so glad I'm not alone in this. It's been driving me crazy trying to figure out the cause behind the spots. 1 Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.