Do I have to use sunscreen if we wear a mask? Can we avoid getting pimples? And that our chin is peeling? Experts respond

The mask is still essential in our lives (and obligatory, don't forget it). But apart from being the most controversial accessory that you can wear on your face right now, the reality is that wearing a mask in summer can be more than uncomfortable. If in winter the problem was that the glasses were fogging, in summer the combination of sweat, heat, sun cream and mask is a real challenge for the skin. The consequences of this combination of factors is expressed in the form of pimples on the nostrils, pimples caused by sweat in people who forgot about acne centuries ago and the odd bald chin. Can our skin survive the coronavirus summer? How do we have to take care of it at this time?

From the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology They have already warned the health workers what could happen to their skin due to the continued use of masks during their long working hours. As to adequately protect the mask it must be well fitted to the face, it is not surprising that people who wear it for hours show manifestations on their face such as dry, reddened and even acne breakouts and rosacea. The prescription from the Academy dermatology specialists to try to prevent and treat these problems was to advise against wearing makeup, use moisturizers adapted to skin type and wash your face daily with warm water and mild, fragrance-free cleansing soaps.

Now the situation is different, we all must wear a mask in our day to day, and although we do not have to face marathon working days with it on, The combination of sweat, heat and mask is already causing problems on the facial skin of the majority of the population. A nuisance? Of course, but an acne breakout cannot be an excuse for giving up the mask. "You have to measure the risks and the greatest risk at the moment is the covid, that is today the most important risk," warns the Dr. Alejandro Fueyo, dermatologist at the Serrano Medical Unit. We consult with this specialist what we can do to solve the most common problems and doubts.

What to do with the mask, sweat and granites?

Okay, the mask creates a microclimate on your face that at 36 degrees in the shade is hard to bear. And that microclimate is responsible for getting pimples on areas of your face that had already forgotten that the pimples existed. Unfortunately, sweat will continue to accompany you. "Although there are antiperspirant products that can be used on the face, I do not recommend this option. It is better to use common sense and try to refresh the atmosphere, avoid going outside in the hottest hours of the day … that kind of thing, "explains Dr. Fueyo.

If you get pimples because of the mask (and you know it is so because before wearing it they did not come out) it is because Those pores are occluded. "The ideal in this case would be use a mild pharmacy cream that does a little peeling. But it needs to be a very soft product, because in summer, due to the action of the sun, exfoliating products can further irritate the skin and cause redness, "says the expert. At most we can do this exfoliation a few times a week. If we go over and our skin turns red, the sun can hyperpigment it.

Should we use sunscreen even if we use a mask? What to do if our chin is peeled?

We have already said that to be effective the mask must be well adjusted … and that includes the chin. When your chin is peeled from wearing a mask, it is not the same as when your skin burns because it has been burned in the sun: you're peeling from the friction. If it happens to you often, check that the brand of masks you use is not creating problems for your skin (sometimes the materials that one company uses are different from others and the most sensitive skin can create problems). But when the damage is done and you have started to peel, the advice of the experts is to go to the pharmacy and ask a regenerating cream suitable for our skin type. Even remedies like rosehip or post peeling creams They can be useful against this problem.

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And speaking of burns on the skin, we cannot forget the great doubt of the summer: photoprotection on the face when wearing a mask, yes or no? The dermatologist's answer is direct: you may think that between the mask and the bangs little can affect the sun on your face, but you should use sunscreen. We must not give up photoprotection, especially this year that we haven't been in the sun for so long. "The risk of burning exists, we can be confused, we will put the mask and the visor and at the end we are going to burn the ears, especially if we go to places like the beach. You have to take the photoprotection at home. What if we take oral photoprotective capsules better than better, because this way we increase our photoprotection ”, concludes Dr. Fueyo.