As people are wearing masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, people who wear them for long periods of time may notice their skin drying out often.
Joel Shanklin, MD with Mercy Health St. Rita's, says that mask wearing can cause your skin to dry out faster than it would normally, and recommends that you follow a normal face care routine, including using a face lotion, to help with that.
Problems can also come from the type of mask that you're using, and you may want to consider looking at different options if skin problems continue.
"For some patients, using different types of mask [is necessary], if you have irritation or noticed some dryness, change to a different type of product," said Shanklin. "Using a cloth one, it might be the detergent that it's being washed in, with certain paper ones, there may be something within that mask that you may have an allergy to."
Certain masks may also allow sunlight through the material, Shanklin recommends considering wearing sunblock under your mask if it's made of thin material.
