Abstract
Background: COVID-19 is a newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) infectious disease pandemic that originated in Wuhan, China at the end of 2019. The first documented case in Saudi Arabia was on March 2, 2020. Soon after, the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global pandemic. The ministry of health in Saudi Arabia mandated the wearing of facial masks for the general population, among other methods of protection from the spread of this highly contagious virus.
It was observed that the continuous and prolonged wearing of facial masks has led to the development of multiple skin complications and facial dermatosis, including new-onset acne as well as flares of pre-existing acne in the general population and especially healthcare workers.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic from January to September 2021 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered electronic survey was distributed to residents of Jeddah city using multiple social media platforms to assess the prevalence and the factors attributed to the development of mask-induced acne.
Result: A total of 630 participants were enrolled. 470 (74.6%) were females and 160 (25.4%) were males, and the predominant age group was 18-30 years old, 374 (59.4%). The majority of participants wore a mask for five to seven days per week, 272 (43.2%), and for less than four hours per day, 378 (60%). The surgical masks were the most frequently used masks, with 597 (94.8%). Three hundred and seventy-nine (60.2%) participants had no previous skin disease on their faces. Only 251 (39.8%) of the participants had pre-existing skin diseases affecting the face. Of those, acne was the most frequent skin condition, 217 (86.4%), followed by atopic dermatitis, 12 (4.8%).
Ninety-seven (23.5%) participants without a prior history of acne reported the new onset of acne during the pandemic with the use of a face mask or face shield. Thirty people (59.9%) who had acne on their faces before the pandemic said that their acne got worse when they wore face masks or face shields for a long time during the pandemic.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated a significant association between the new onset of acne or worsening of pre-existing acne and the frequent and prolonged usage of facial masks. Thus, certain measures should be applied to prevent the development of new or worsening of prior acne while maintaining effective protection using facial masks.