Maskne: A side effect of wearing face mask and face mask–wearing attitudes and behavior during 1(st), 2(nd) and 3(rd) waves of COVID-19 in rural population of Haryana

INTRODUCTION: The term “maskne” originated during the SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic; it is a variant of acne associated with continuous wearing of face mask. Maskne is mainly observational, and the most common cause of maskne is contact irritant dermatitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The average mask use percentage by OPD cases visiting the hospital for a month in each wave of the COVID -19, that is, in the month of June 2020 during the first wave, in the month of April 2021 during the second wave and in the month of December 2021 during the third wave was calculated. We also included 30 patients with a diagnosis of irritant contact dermatitis aka maskne and 30 patients with diagnosis of acne vulgaris, all >18 years of age from April 2020 to December 2021. RESULTS: 66% of people wore masks coming to hospital in the month of June 2020 (first wave) which increased to 74% during the second wave in the month of April 2021 and during the third wave only 23% of people wore masks in the month of December 2021. CONCLUSION: Maskne and worsening of acne vulgaris can be due to wearing of dirty face masks for longer duration. Use of moisturizers and regular “mask breaks” are important aspects in management of maskne.