Have ‘Maskne’? Doctor Shares Advice to Avoid Facial Breakouts

While it’s vital to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19, doctors say face masks have caused an uptick in breakouts. An Allina Health dermatologist has noticed more people experiencing mask acne or “maskne.”

“I’ve been seeing a lot of patients come in for acne and rashes underneath their masks,” said Dr. Elizabeth Farhat.

Dr. Farhat said acne breakouts is caused when oil glands get clogged with oil or bacteria. She says that’s why it’s important to wash your masks everyday because bacteria gets trapped in the mask. 

“I recommend just washing your mask in normal laundry, so you can just throw it in the normal laundry detergent and then just air drying them so they don’t deform the shape,” she explained.

As for your face, Farhat recommends also washing it daily by using gentle cleansers like Dove soap or Cetaphil. 

“If you have bigger acne bumps, I like benzoyl peroxide-based washes because those are anti inflammatory and they’re also anti bacterial.”

Farhat said people who wear masks for long periods of time can also get pressure-induced sores, similar to bruises on the face.

“The best thing to use when you’re noticing that is use a barrier cream something even as simple as Vaseline or Aquaphor,” she said.

Though many are experiencing problematic skin from face masks, Farhat hopes people don’t stop wearing masks. 

“Wearing a mask is so important, even if you’re getting acne,” she said. “There’s so many different treatments out there. We really do need to be wearing masks everyday.”