‘Maskne’(Mask Acne) – Is It Really A Thing??

The answer is, not really.

We are 2 years into the pandemic and there has been enough time that has passed to make an accurate assessment as to whether our consistent mask wearing has created a new, recognized and legitimate skin disorder we can add to the books, maskne.

I have seen increased cases of perioral dermatitis, which is often mistaken for acne.

I’m going to guess that the onset of the perioral dermatitis is due to the warmth and moisture that our mask wearing can create; especially those who are wearing their masks for long periods of time.

Masks can cause isolated breakouts; however, I certainly wouldn’t categorize it as acne.

I’ve seen isolated breakouts, each located on various parts of the face. If I see breakout due to mask wearing, it’s usually at the masks cut off points and the amount and severity of the breakout is what I would consider to be mild. 

In the last 2 years, when I have had a client complaining of breakouts and congestion, relating it to mask wearing, frankly, it’s usually due to reuse of a dirty mask, ultimately, poor hygiene. Poor hygiene is very often the culprit for varying acne types.

The answer is simple, wear a fresh, clean, mask.

Both cloth and disposable masks should be worn one time only.