“Mask vitiligo” secondary to frictional dermatitis from surgical masks

“White reaction to blue”: A contact vitiligo due to Disperse Blue in surgical mask

“…Humidity and maceration under the mask could be precipitating factors. Our patient did not present any erythema or pruritus or burning facial sensation, which may help to rule out the diagnosis of frictional dermatitis from the surgical masks, with subsequent koebnerization leading to vitiligo, as reported in the case by Sinha et al 1,4 To conclude, clinicians should be aware of the new entity “mask vitiligo” that may be due to koebnerization from frictional dermatitis and/or contact leucoderma.…”

“…Masks, the symbol of the “COVID‐era,” can lead to a variety of skin damages 2,3 . Recently, Sinha et al have introduced the term of “mask vitiligo” to describe a facial vitiligo limited to skin sites in contact with surgical masks 4 . Here, we report the case of a “mask vitiligo” induced by contact reaction to Disperse Blue in surgical blue masks.…”

Contact dermatitis due to personal protective equipment use and hygiene practices during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review of case reports

“…Such over-rigorous hand hygiene practices may lead to impairment of keratocytes, disruption of the epidermal barrier, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and delayed-type hypersensitivity reactions, due to activation of the skin's immune system [ 14 ]. As opposed to hand sanitizers and gloves, wearing surgical or other masks as a cause of skin lesions and irritation has been less reported during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 15 ]. However, N95 (FF2) masks may lead to increased skin reactions due to constant friction and moisture due to the tighter fit and higher impermeability, compared to surgical masks alone [ 15 ].…”

“…As opposed to hand sanitizers and gloves, wearing surgical or other masks as a cause of skin lesions and irritation has been less reported during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 15 ]. However, N95 (FF2) masks may lead to increased skin reactions due to constant friction and moisture due to the tighter fit and higher impermeability, compared to surgical masks alone [ 15 ]. Our study indicates that depigmentation, presenting as contact leukoderma or vitiligo following koebnerization due to frictional dermatitis, maybe a rare consequence of mask usage [ 15 ].…”

Various aspects of the relationship between vitiligo and the COVID‐19 pandemic or SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines: Clinical pearls for dermatologists

“…24,31 The COVID pandemic has also been related to vitiligo in another interesting way; facial frictional dermatitis under skin areas covered by face masks has led to vitiligo, called as "mask vitiligo." 32…”