The Correlation Between Wearing Face Masks and Skin Damage in Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abduljabbar, Mohammed H; Kalthoum, Duha  E; Bakarman, Marwan A.; Salem, Iman Wahby; Alsulaimani, Zakeiah; Alharbi, Wedyan; Shawish, Shahad; Alsobhi, Rahaf

doi:10.7759/cureus.31521

Cited by 4 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…with these new habits. 2,[4][5][6][7][8][9][10] It was important to find a cosmetic solution rapidly; we choose a powerful and well-known molecule, having a wide range of biological activities: rutin. 14,17 Nevertheless, rutin is poorly water-soluble so we designed a highly water-soluble and stable form of rutin to allow an easier integration into cosmetic formulas [20][21][22] (Table 1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A highly soluble form of rutin for instant resolution of mask‐wearing related disorders

De Tollenaere,

Durduret,

Chapuis

et al. 2024

J of Cosmetic Dermatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic brought about a new normal, necessitating the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) like face shields, surgical masks, gloves, and goggles. However, prolonged mask‐wearing introduced skin‐related issues due to changes in the skin's microenvironment, including increased humidity and temperature, as well as pressure on the skin. These factors led to skin deformation, vascular issues, edema, and inflammation, resulting in discomfort and cosmetic concerns. Clinical reports quickly highlighted the consequences of long‐term mask use, including increased cases of “maskne” (mask‐related acne) or mask‐wearing related disorders such as rosacea flare‐ups, skin‐barrier defects, itching, erythema, redness, hyperpigmentation, and lichenification. Some of these issues, like inflammation, oxidative stress, and poor wound healing, could be directly linked to acne‐related disorders or skin hypoxia.AimTo address these problems, researchers turned to rutin, a well‐known flavonoid with antioxidant, vasoactive, and anti‐inflammatory properties. However, rutin's poor water solubility presented a challenge for cosmetic formulations. To overcome this limitation, a highly water‐soluble form of rutin was developed, making it suitable for use at higher concentrations.MethodsIn vitro and ex vivo tests were conducted, as well as an innovative clinical trial including volunteers wearing surgical masks for at least 2 h, to evaluate the biological activity of this soluble rutin on the main skin concerns associated with mask‐wearing (inflammation, oxidative stress, skin repair, hyperpigmentation, and skin redness).ResultsThe in vitro results showed that the active ingredient significantly reduced oxidative stress, improved wound healing, and reduced inflammation. In dark skin explants, the active ingredient significantly reduced melanin content, indicating its lightening activity. This effect was confirmed in the clinical study, where brown spots decreased significantly after 4 days of application. Moreover, measurements on volunteers demonstrated a decrease in skin redness and vascularization after the active ingredient application, indicating inflammation and erythema reduction. Volunteers reported improved skin comfort.ConclusionIn summary, the COVID‐19 pandemic led to various skin issues associated with mask‐wearing. A highly soluble form of rutin was developed, which effectively addressed these concerns by reducing inflammation, oxidative stress, and hyperpigmentation while promoting wound healing. This soluble rutin offers a promising solution for the rapid treatment of maskne‐related disorders and other skin problems caused by prolonged mask use.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wearing face masks is the new routine when hygienic and safety measures are required. Nevertheless, since the pandemic began, various skin concerns have been raised and have been correlated with these new habits 2,4–10 …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A highly soluble form of rutin for instant resolution of mask‐wearing related disorders

De Tollenaere,

Durduret,

Chapuis

et al. 2024

J of Cosmetic Dermatology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The type of mask used can influence the likelihood of negative consequences. Cloth masks were shown to be less effective than surgical masks in preventing virus penetration but are less likely to cause skin damage (Abduljabbar et al, 2022). During the pandemic, adequate skin care for the area covered by masks has been advocated for both mask and non-mask wearers (Bakhsh et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Skin Adverse Effects of Face Mask Use during COVID-19 Pandemic among Primary Health Care Workers, Qassim, Saudi Arabia

Alharbi

Jahan²

2023

jmhs

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

During the COVID-19 pandemic, frequent facemask use resulted in skin adverse effects among some health care workers. The aim of this study is to investigate the skin adverse effects among primary healthcare workers who have been using face masks in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered online questionnaire containing 17 questions. The survey was conducted online by sending an invitation link to primary health care workers in Qassim, Saudi Arabia. The survey was carried out between June 2023 and July 2023. A total of 220 healthcare workers (166 physicians and 54 nurses), having a mean age of 36.7 (± 8.9) years, participated in the study. Seventy-one percent of the participants were males. The majority (75%) used surgical face masks; 67.7% reported using the face mask 4-6 days per week. A total of 71 (32%) participants reported skin adverse effects due to face mask use. The most commonly reported complaint was dryness (61.7%), while dry skin and nasal bridge scars were the common skin lesions. The cheek (56.9 %) and nose (55.9 %) were the location of most skin lesions. Gender (p<0.0001), specialty (p =0.031), number of days per week of face mask use (p<0.0001), and the design of face mask (p=0.041) had statistically significant association with skin adverse effects due to use of face mask. Skin adverse effects due to face mask use were common among the study participants. Primary healthcare workers must employ preventive measures and appropriate skincare practices.

show abstract

“…On one hand this is a normal and harmless component of the skin microbiota; on the other, it may be a hazard for vulnerable immunosuppressed individuals [84][85][86]. Even in healthy individuals, coagulase-negative staphylococci, at high abundance, may contribute to inflammatory skin conditions such as atopic dermatitis and acne vulgaris [55,[87][88][89] with evidence that wearing a mask significantly increased the incidence of acne in particular [90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98].…”

Section: Bacteria Detected: Potential Clinical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Bacterial Burden of Worn Face Masks – Observational Research and Literature Review

Kisielinski,

Wojtasik,

Zalewska

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We investigated and quantified bacterial accumulation in facemasks used by the general population, using 16S rRNA (Sanger Sequencing), culture and biochemical analysis along with Rose Bengal staining. Additionally, a systematic overview of the literature on face mask contamination was undertaken. We found an average bacterial load of 4.24 × 104 CFU recovered/mask, with a maximum load of 2.85 × 105 CFU. This maximum is 310 times higher than the limit value for contamination of ventilation system outlet surfaces specified by the German standard VDI 6022. Biochemical and molecular identification predominantly found Staphylococcus species (80%), including Staphylococcus aureus, along with endospore-forming Bacillus spp. Literature reports also indicate contamination of masks by bacterial and fungal opportunists of the genera Acinetobacter, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Bacillus, Cadosporium, Candida, Escherichia, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Klebsiella (including K. pneumoniae), Micrococcus, Microsporum, Mucor, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. Bacterial counts increase linearly with wearing duration, and prolonged use may affect the skin and respiratory microbiomes, promoting consequential eye, skin, oral and airway conditions. These aspects underscore the urgent need for further research and a risk-benefit analysis in respect of mask use, particularly given their unproven efficacy in disrupting the transmission of respiratory viruses and their adverse social consequences.

show abstract

The Correlation Between Wearing Face Masks and Skin Damage in Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Cited by 4 publications

References 12 publications

A highly soluble form of rutin for instant resolution of mask‐wearing related disorders

A highly soluble form of rutin for instant resolution of mask‐wearing related disorders

Skin Adverse Effects of Face Mask Use during COVID-19 Pandemic among Primary Health Care Workers, Qassim, Saudi Arabia

The Bacterial Burden of Worn Face Masks – Observational Research and Literature Review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About