Dr. Pimple Popper’s Top 3 Tips for Avoiding Maskne Now That Experts Suggest Double Masking
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has completely changed most people’s ways of living. Graduations, weddings, birthday parties, and more have all been canceled due to the pandemic. People have been donning masks over their mouths and noses to stop the spread of the brutal virus. But with more contagious variants coming about, people are being encouraged to wear two masks. So, how can people avoid skin irritation and acne while remaining safe and wearing a mask?
How to avoid pimples under your mask
Wearing something over the skin on your face can lead to dirt buildup and irritation which can lead to pimples or maskne as people have begun to call it. Dr Sandra Lee, MD, who is better known as Dr. Pimple Popper, has some great tips for people who have been struggling with breakouts under their masks.
“Think about it as if your mask was a pair of underwear,” she told HollywoodLife. “You don’t really wear the same underwear day to day so change it up every day. It gets humid under there, so of course we’re prone to getting acne that way. So, changing out your mask can help to keep the area clean.”
If changing your masks isn’t helping, you can get a cleansing spray to assist.
“My other one would be to get an over the counter salicylic acid spray and what you can do is spray the inside of your mask,” she continued. “It’s meant for acne, you know, for the body, but in this case, if you spray the inside of your mask and then kind of wave it dry, that really works because for a lot of us, especially when we wear makeup, we don’t want to put something on our face under our mask. So spraying the inside of your mask with a salicylic acid will actually help it settle down in your pores and help to keep them clear of debris and oil and things like that.”
If neither of these tricks is helping, it might be the type of mask that you are using that is causing an issue.
“And, the third one is probably to try to think about using a more of a cotton mask when you’re out and about and you’re not like in a hospital where you have to wear something more protective because cotton will wick away moisture, which will help,” Lee said.
What to do if you get maskne
Sometimes, even while utilizing preventative methods, you may still have a breakout under your mask. If you do get maskne, there are some things you can do.
“You can get an over the counter acne spot treatment like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid or sulfur, and you just want to dot the area and make a little localized zit mask and that will help to treat the area,” she said. “And, it will help to keep your hands off of it. Because, if you have a little dollop of cream on the area, when you reach up to your face you’ll realize that and then it’ll be a reminder for you not to pick at it.”
Wearing masks saves lives
Though masks can cause skin problems or other inconveniences, they have been proven to save lives when worn properly. Now, more public places, such as federal buildings, public transportation, and airports, are requiring masks to be worn in order to enter. So, use these tips to combat the maskne because it doesn’t seem like mask mandates will be going anywhere anytime soon.
