Category Archive: Acne treatment

“Maskne” or acne mechanica, is pimples located in areas where your face mask touches your face. Maskne occurs when sweat, oil and bacteria are trapped on your skin while wearing a tight face mask with very little air flow, creating the perfect breeding ground for skin bacteria to flourish and cultivate.

My two older teenage daughters tend to get a massive flare-up of Maskne on hot days when they return from school.  Donning a face mask from 6:30 a.m. through 3:30 p.m. for 9 long hours in hot and humid Malaysian weather spells disaster to the skin on their faces.  On days when my eldest stays home and attends online classes, the skin on her face will be under control. It takes just one day of all-day mask wearing to undo all the healing on her skin. With COVID-19 not slowing down anytime soon, it’s likely that face masks will remain a part of our daily routines for the foreseeable future.

Maskne is different from blemishes caused by hormones or hereditary issues like cystic acne.  Maskne is especially prevalent on the bridge of your nose, your cheeks and your chin, caused by an external factor – a mask obstructing the skin and causing excess pressure, heat and rubbing, which leads to irritation, inflammation and pimples.

How to prevent maskne

Strict hygiene must be practised when wearing masks and it is recommended to change the mask every 4 hours.  If you notice any dampness within the mask, it should be changed immediately and not wait 4 hours later.  Thus, it is advisable to carry an extra mask in your bag or pocket at all times during this pandemic.   Reusable masks must be washed everyday with soap and water and air dried thoroughly.

When you remove your mask to drink and eat, it is important to be wary of where you are putting it down to prevent catching virus / bacteria on the mask.  You can place your mask in a mask bag / mask keeper or your pocket or anywhere that is clean, away from contact with dirty surfaces.

To help prevent skin problems from developing under your mask, we have below the following handy tips:

1.  Cleanse and moisturize your face daily. Gentle skin care can prevent skin problems. When washing your face, use a mild, fragrance-free cleanser .

You can prevent breakouts from your moisturizer by using a moisturizer formulated for your skin type. When selecting moisturizer, follow this guide:

Oily skin (or when weather is hot, humid): Gel moisturizer
Normal or combination skin: Lotion
Dry to very dry skin: Cream

If you have acne or tend to break out, you can still use a gel moisturizer.

2. Skip the makeup when wearing a mask. Beneath a mask, makeup is more likely to clog your pores and lead to breakouts. If makeup is necessary, use only products labeled “non-comedogenic” or “oil free.”

3. Avoid trying new skin care products that can irritate your skin. Wearing a mask for even a short time can make your skin more sensitive. To reduce skin problems, avoid trying harsh products, such as a chemical peel, exfoliant, or retinoid, for the first time.

4. Use less of certain skin care products if your face becomes irritated. When you cover your face with a mask, some skin care products that you’ve used in the past may irritate your skin. If this happens, cut back on products that can irritate your skin, such as leave-on salicylic acid, retinoid you apply to your face and aftershave.

5. Wear the right mask. To reduce skin problems, look for masks that offer the following:

A snug, but comfortable fit.
Soft, natural, and breathable fabric, such as cotton.
Fabric on the inside that feels soft if you have sensitive skin.
Cotton material inside if you have acne or oily skin.

Wearing a mask that offers a snug, but comfortable fit helps to protect you and others from the coronavirus. You want a snug fit across your nose, on the sides, and under your chin.

A snug, comfortable fit also reduces skin problems. If the mask feels too tight or slides around on your face, it can irritate your skin. You’re also more likely to adjust a poorly fitting mask. When you touch your mask, you can transfer germs to your mask and your face.

The fabric is also important. Avoid synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, polyester, and rayon. These are more likely to irritate your skin and cause breakouts.

6.  Take a 15-minute mask break every 4 hours. But only remove your mask when it’s safe to do so and after washing your hands with soap or sanitized them with hand sanitizer.

Safe places to remove your mask include:

Outdoors, when you can stay at least six feet away from people.
Inside your car when you’re alone.
At home.

Since we’re going to be wearing masks for a while until a vaccine for Covid-19 is found, managing maskne isn’t going to be a one-time deal. It will require developing both treatment and ongoing prevention habits to keep your skin clear.   Proper mask-wearing hygiene and practice applies to everyone and not just those who are more acne-prone as mask-related acne affects almost everyone.

Do you always break out on your chin? Or maybe acne always seems to crop up on your cheeks or your T-zone.  There are reasons you might be breaking out in one particular area over another.

I hardly ever had acne or pimples in my teenage years right until now.  Every once in a while, a pimple will pop out on my chin.  When I kept having acne only on my chin some 18 years back when I was in my late 20s with my weight shooting up from 43kg to 48kg in just two months, I knew it was a red flag.  An ultrasound scan by my Ob & Gyn revealed that I had PCOS, a hormonal imbalance disorder.

Hormones, diet, poor hygiene, stress, or an underlying issue with an internal organ are all factors that could trigger breakouts in a particular spot. Great skin often starts from the inside-out. One of the places through which your body rids itself of toxins, illness, and stresses is its largest organ — the skin.

The method of using the location of acne to inform treatment and prevention is called face mapping.  Face mapping is a great place to start with finding the possible causes and solutions of those pesky breakouts on your forehead, cheeks, chin and T-Zone.

Forehead
If you frequently wear hats, the friction from the fabric could be to blame.  The acne may also be a result of using heavy hair-care products like conditioners or leave-in treatments that can clog pores around the hairline

Another possible culprit here is stress. If you have exams coming up or rushing to complete for a project, for example, it might be a good idea to incorporate acne treatments like salicylic acid into your routine to help control potential breakouts.  I love using Melaleuca pure essential oil (Tea Tree oil) to control and treat breakout on my chin.

Also, to avoid making things worse, lay off the chips and candy.  Your forehead is linked to your digestive system. Reducing the amount of fat in your diet and stepping up your water intake could help.

Nose
Your nose is linked to your heart and cutting back on meat and spicy foods could reduce breakouts here.  You could swap spicy foods with foods with “good fats” like nuts, avocados, fish, or flaxseed.  Also, since this area is chock full of dilated pores, check that your makeup is not past its expiration date or does not contain pore-clogging ingredients.

In Between the Brows
This is the zone where food allergies show up first.  Lactose intolerance is a possible factor as is a diet rich in foods that are difficult to digest like fast food.

Cheeks
When did you last clean your phone or makeup brushes? If you’re experiencing breakouts in this area, it might be time to give them all a good cleanse.

Because this area also corresponds with your respiratory system, smoking cigarettes is a definite no-no (for many more reasons than just pimples, too).

T-Zone
If you’re getting breakouts in the T-zone area, think oil and stress. A large-scale study of 160 male high school students in Singapore found that high stress doesn’t have an effect on oil production, but it can make acne more serious.

Another study, published in the same nonprofit journal Acta Dermato, found that people who woke up tired were more likely to have acne as well.  So, it sounds like stress and sleep start a vicious cycle with acne. If you notice a pattern, try to practise good sleeping habits.  That is why you often hear women stress that they need their beauty sleep to get beautiful flawless skin and to feel good.

Chin and Jawline
This could be a sign that acne is due to a hormonal imbalance. Birth control or spironolactone (which decreases testosterone levels) are both effective treatment options.  While hormonal changes can be unavoidable, you can decrease the effect by getting adequate sleep, drinking enough water, eating leafy veggies, and keeping skin squeaky clean.  Stay off stress too.

The Ears
Because this area is associated with the kidneys, breakouts here could be a direct result of dehydration.  Drink lots of water and avoid carbonated and caffeinated beverages.

Here are some ways to keep pimples away:

• To help prevent the oil buildup that can lead to acne, wash your face once or twice a day with warm water and a mild soap or cleanser.
• Don’t scrub your face. Scrubbing can actually make acne worse by irritating the skin. Wash gently, using your hands instead of a washcloth.
• If you wear makeup, moisturizer, or sunscreen, make sure they are “oil-free,” “noncomedogenic,” or “nonacnegenic.”
• When you wash your face, take the time to remove all of your makeup.

• If you use hair sprays or gels, try to keep them away from your face because they can clog pores.
• If you have long hair, keep it away from your face and wash it regularly to reduce oil.
• Baseball caps and other hats can cause pimples along the hairline. Avoid them if you think they are making your acne worse.
• Wash your face after you’ve been exercising and sweating a lot.
• Try not to touch your face.
• Don’t pick, squeeze, or pop pimples.
• Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water each day
• Try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each day
• Exercise and sweat it out to remove toxins from your body
• Lastly, try to stave off stress from consuming you