Association of Acne with Face Mask in Healthcare Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Outbreak in Karachi, Pakistan

Yaqoob, Sadia; Saleem, Amna; Jarullah, Furqan Ahmad; Asif, Areeba; Essar, Mohammad Yasir; Emad, Shaista

doi:10.2147/ccid.s333221

Cited by 23 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Our study also revealed that females were 3.4 times more likely to suffer from mask-induced dermatological problems. More than half of females in our study reported dermatological problems similar to another study (53.4%) done in Pakistan [ 9 ]. Besides, wearing a face mask can accentuate dermatological problems (i.e., autoimmune diseases, allergic diseases, pigment disorders, and hair diseases), which are generally more common in females [ 20 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

“…According to epidemiologic data, droplets produced during face-to-face encounters when talking, coughing, or sneezing appear to be the most common transmission mechanism [ 8 ]. Since health care workers (HCWs) come in direct contact with COVID-19 patients, they are prone to danger from this highly infectious virus [ 9 ]. When caring for COVID-19 patients, using personal protective equipment (PPE) may significantly lower the risk of infection [ 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Prevalence of dermatological, oral and neurological problems due to face mask use during COVID-19 and its associated factors among the health care workers of Bangladesh

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background When caring for COVID-19 patients, using personal protective equipment (PPE) may significantly lower the risk of infection of health care workers (HCWs). However, adverse responses due to PPE use have been observed during the 2003 SARS pandemic. This study will highlight the different adverse reactions caused by face mask use, one of the essential components of PPE in the HCWs, and identify the factors associated with these problems. Methods This cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and October 2021. 404 HCWs were selected by snowball sampling from four randomly selected healthcare facilities of Bangladesh. Trained volunteers collected data by face-to-face interview using a pretested structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using STATA (v.16) and summarized using frequency and relative frequency. Later, the chi-square test was used to explore bivariate relationships, and the binary logistic regression model was fit to identify the predictors. Results The majority of the respondents were 26–36 years (70.30%), male (69.80%), and doctors (74.50%). 48.76% of the respondents had unfavorable skin responses beneath the face masks; female gender, physicians, professionals working more than 32 hours a week, wearing N95, and more than one mask were predictors of skin problem. 28.47% and 60.15% of all participants suffered from some form of oral and neurological problems, respectively. Conclusion Face mask use sequelae, especially skin, oral and neurological problems, are prevalent among health care workers. Therefore, necessary precautionary measures should be taken to safeguard our frontlines.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of dermatological, oral and neurological problems due to face mask use during COVID-19 and its associated factors among the health care workers of Bangladesh

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In a Turkish survey, conducted from December 2020 to February 2021, 101 healthcare workers (HCW) were screened for facial dermatoses and it emerged that acne prevalence was present in 55.4% of participants [4]. Similar findings resulted from another survey among HCW from Pakistan [5]. Acneiform eruptions have been documented in two larger cohorts of 454 [6] and 400 [7] subjects, where prevalence was respectively assessed to 39.9% and 43% of all adverse skin reactions due to prolonged face mask use.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Maskne: The Epidemic within the Pandemic: From Diagnosis to Therapy

Spigariolo

Giacalone

Nazzaro

2022

JCM

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Maskne, a newly coined term deriving from the contraction of mask-related acne, is a form of mechanical acne resulting from continuous textile–skin adherence and friction. Prolonged mask use heats up the face environment, thus modifying skin microbiota and sebum production. Although effective prevalence is unknown, since the pandemic began and the prolonged use of masks was extended to the general population, maskne has been a frequent topic of consultation among dermatologists. This term has been successfully introduced into common language, with more than 200,000 hashtags on social media, where it is also possible to find “home remedies” that can worsen this dermatosis. The aim of this paper is to discuss the pathogenesis, address clinicians on the correct differential diagnoses among facial dermatoses, and move towards the correct therapy.

show abstract

“…In this study, we observed that about a quarter of the population reported new onset acne or worsening of preexisting acne. The 24.5% of the population sampled reporting acne is lower than that reported in studies in Singapore and Pakistan although these studies focused on healthcare workers who are thus more likely to wear face masks more consistently and for longer periods of time [ 20 , 21 ]. These numbers are high enough to be of concern especially as wearing of face masks is a key aspect of global NPI to reduce the spread of COVID-19.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An epidemiological study on face masks and acne in a Nigerian population

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Acne vulgaris is a skin disorder that affects males and females with significant impact on quality of life. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a series of non-pharmaceutical interventions globally to reduce the spread of the virus particularly since there have been no known cures or definitive treatment for the disease. One key non-pharmaceutical intervention was recommendation on wearing of face masks. There are reports of discomfort associated with wearing face mask including complaints of various skin rashes, acne and headaches which could hinder appropriate use of face masks. While the dermatological problems associated with face mask use have been comprehensively explored in high income countries, the data is sparse in sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to determine the association between face mask use and development of acne vulgaris in our developing country setting. We subsequently determined risk factors for development of acne vulgaris such as duration of wearing face masks, type of face mask, and prior dermatological skin condition history. We aimed to also determine the potential of acne development secondary to face mask use to reducing predisposition to wearing face masks. Methods This was an observational cross-sectional study conducted in within two local government areas of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Trained interviewers administered pre-tested questionnaires to 1316 consecutive consenting adult participants randomly approached for informed consent at various public locations. Information was inputted into MS Excel and analyzed using Epi-info. Results A total number of 1316 persons participated in this study with mean age 34.4 ±12.3 years and median age 35.5years. Male: female ratio was 1:1.41. New onset acne or worsening of acne following consistent wearing of face masks was reported by 323 (24.5%) of the 1316 participants in this study. The surgical face mask was the least likely to predispose to acne p<0.05. Compared with the surgical mask, persons using N95 face mask and cloth mask were 1.89 and 1.41 times more likely to have acne respectively. Persons with prior history of acne were more likely to develop new acne or experience worsening of acne following wearing of face mask OR 3.89, 95% CI 2.85, 5.33; p <0.05). The length of time of daily mask wearing was not significantly associated with occurrence of new onset acne or worsening of acne. Persons reporting prior histories of allergy were more likely to develop acne in this study (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.50, 2.88; p<0.05). In this study, 192 (59.4%) of those who reported having acne following face masks use responded they have a negative predisposition to wearing masks. Conclusion Our finding of greater predisposition to development or worsening of acne following consistent use of face masks could have implications for the control strategy of COVID-19. The finding that the N95 face mask was more significantly associated with acne is of concern as this is the preferred face mask in healthcare settings. It is important for the medical community to investigate feasible and safe recommendations to help alleviate this condition.

show abstract

Association of Acne with Face Mask in Healthcare Workers Amidst the COVID-19 Outbreak in Karachi, Pakistan

Cited by 23 publications

References 23 publications

Prevalence of dermatological, oral and neurological problems due to face mask use during COVID-19 and its associated factors among the health care workers of Bangladesh

Prevalence of dermatological, oral and neurological problems due to face mask use during COVID-19 and its associated factors among the health care workers of Bangladesh

Maskne: The Epidemic within the Pandemic: From Diagnosis to Therapy

An epidemiological study on face masks and acne in a Nigerian population

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About