Just when you thought you may have your acne under control, you may have started to noticed an increase in blemishes along the bridge of your nose, your cheeks and your chin since you’ve started wearing a face mask. The formal name of this type of breakout is acne mechanica, but you may know it as “maskne”.
Caused by friction, pressure, heat, moisture and clogged pores, these types of breakouts used to only be common in athletes wearing helmets and protective masks.
So what can you do to prevent maskne? It may be inevitable, but you can do your best to minimize it. If you wear a cloth mask, wash it daily to kill the bacteria on it. If you wear a disposable mask, replace it daily or as often as possible.
And how can you treat maskne? Regularly cleanse your skin (morning and night), but don’t overdo the scrubs, masks or washing. You may want to add in a product that contains AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) or BHA (beta hydroxy acid), to help chemically exfoliate the dead skin cells. Lastly, make sure your face is well hydrated to provide a “barrier” between your skin and the mask.