Teach you to deal with skin damage

Wearing masks for a long time has caused many people to have skin discomfort. Especially some people with special job nature, such as medical workers, have even experienced skin damage "visible to the naked eye" due to wearing masks from morning to night. What are the hidden skin hazards under the mask? How to protect the "face" and deal with skin damage?

What are the skin problems caused by masks?

1. Skin damage caused by stress. Due to wearing tight masks for a long time, such as N95 masks and some ear-hanging masks, the skin on the edges of the nose, cheeks, chin, behind the ears, etc., which touch the mask, may appear erythema and strangulation, and may be accompanied by pain. In severe cases There will also be skin ulceration and erosion.

2. Skin rashes caused by dampness. When wearing a tightly airtight mask continuously, there is a lot of sweat inside the mask, and a long-term humid environment will cause the skin to become white, impregnated, and wrinkled.

3. Contact dermatitis. Some people are allergic to the material of the mask due to wearing low-quality masks. Erythema and red papules appear on the part of the mask and the nearby skin, accompanied by itching. In severe cases, edema, blisters, and exudation may occur.

4. Acne. Because the internal environment of the mask is humid and the temperature is high, it affects the secretion of sebaceous glands, and the skin produces more oil, which may lead to the appearance or aggravation of acne (ie "acne").

Among the skin problems caused by the above four types of masks, the first two types of skin problems may occur in people of any skin type. Contact dermatitis is more likely to occur in people with allergies, and acne is likely to occur in people with oily skin.

How to deal with skin damage in a targeted manner?

1. To prevent skin damage caused by stress, try to avoid using ear-hanging masks and switch to head strap-style surgical masks, loosening the straps every 1 to 2 hours. If you need to wear an N95 mask for a long time because of occupational factors, you can put on a medical hydrocolloid dressing in advance to prevent pressure injuries. For the skin that has been damaged, the severity must be judged first. If the indentation is light, just apply an emollient. After a period of time, the indentation will disappear by itself; if the local erythema or swelling occurs, you can apply a cold wet compress with normal saline; if there is a heavier bruise, you can apply it to improve the local blood Circulating ointment, such as polysulfonic mucopolysaccharide cream; if the pressure is severe and there is ulceration or erosion, antibiotic ointment can be applied to prevent local infection. After the antibiotic ointment is absorbed, recombinant bovine basic fibroblast growth factor can be sprayed to promote wounds heal.

2. To prevent rashes caused by dampness, you can apply emollients to your face in advance. Every 2 to 3 hours, remove the mask and wipe off the sweat, and reapply emollients to promote skin recovery.

3. For contact dermatitis, if there are erythema, red papules, and itching, you can apply calamine, zinc oxide paste and other drugs to relieve itching; if the situation is serious, swelling, exudation or even blisters, you need to combine oral anti-allergic drugs. And seek medical attention in time.

4. After acne appears, the first thing to distinguish is whether it is inflammatory acne or closed acne. Inflammatory acne is usually bright red in color, painful pressing, yellow-white discharge or pus head; and closed acne is usually skin color, not painful when pressed, the size of small rice grains, pointed, and may have black or white heads in the center. For inflammatory acne, use fusidic acid cream, mupirocin ointment, ciprofloxacin hydrochloride gel and other antibiotic ointments to relieve it. For closed acne, you can apply adapalene gel or tretinoin cream, but these two drugs have photosensitivity and irritation. You need to clean your face at night and apply a small amount of moisturizing products to the acne instead of large areas. rub. If the acne is more serious, you need to see a doctor in time, and take oral medication under the guidance of a doctor. In addition, experts remind that, for the acne that has formed, do not squeeze or pick it by yourself, otherwise it will be easier to leave acne marks or pits. Also note that you should not stay up late, drink less alcohol, and eat less spicy, greasy, or high-sugar foods. These may increase the amount of oil on the skin and aggravate acne.