Local DCNP Explains Causes of "Maskne" and How to Prevent it – NBC Right Now

KENNEWICK, WA-

"Maskne" as become a term used to describe the pimples and acne that have been showing up around our mouth, nose, and chin as a result of mask wearing. Christy Masterman, DCNP is the owner and nurse practitioner of Dermatology Solutions in Kennewick. She said "maskne" is caused by several things.

"There's inflammation, there's bacteria, and there's friction and rubbing. What's happening is you are trapping oil and bacteria underneath the face cloth, and that's causing your acne," said Masterman.

These are her four most important tips for preventing "maskne":

"One--wash your face twice a day. Two--frequent mask changes, so whether you're washing your mask and changing it out twice a day, or wearing a new disposable, that can help quite a bit. Also, gentle exfoliation. There's a lot of dead skin that gets trapped in there and that can really cause a lot of inflammation as well. And then also makeup. Especially ones that are oil-based will cause acne. So you want to go with something very light," said Masterman.

Christy says if you wear a cloth mask to try and wash it every day or swap it out for a new one. She also recommends washing with unscented detergent, hydrogen peroxide, or vinegar because they kill Coronavirus. She's also been seeing other issues coming up in her patients besides "maskne".

"I'm starting to see a lot of hair loss. Hair loss is a determining factor for stress. Usually with hair loss there is something called telogen-effluvium and what happens with that, is we have a very stressful event and about three to four months later our hair starts falling out," said Masterman.

Christy says psoriasis, eczema, rosacea and dermatitis can also appear when stressed, so keep an eye out for irregularities with skin and hair.

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Local DCNP Explains Causes of "Maskne" and How to Prevent it - NBC Right Now