Effects of one year of daily face mask wearing on the skin during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues, the long-term daily use of masks is increasing. A full year includes the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Skin may have been affected by the seasons and further affected by the use of masks. In a previous study, we confirmed the short-term and 6-month effects of wearing face masks. In this study, we investigated how certain characteristics of the skin change when wearing a mask for 1 year. Furthermore, we compared skin covered by the mask (mask-skin zone) to skin that was not covered. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The participants were 18 healthy adults (8 men; 10 women) who were asked to wear masks in their daily lives from June 2020 to June 2021. During this period, participants' skin characteristics, such as trans-epidermal water loss, skin hydration, skin elasticity, skin keratin amount, skin pore area, skin temperature, skin redness, and skin color, were measured five times. RESULTS: Trans-epidermal water loss, skin keratin amount, skin pore area, skin color, and skin elasticity changed significantly during the year. Furthermore, trans-epidermal water loss, skin hydration, skin keratin amount, skin pore area, and skin color were significantly different between the mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing areas of the face. CONCLUSION: The skin characteristics of the mask-skin zone can be affected by long-term wearing of a face mask under lifestyle and environmental conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, skin care for the mask-skin zone is also necessary for people who do not wear masks on a daily basis.

Long-term effects of face masks on skin characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, face masks are a crucial part of our daily life. Previous studies on their impact on the skin usually focused on the adverse effects of face masks. Few studies have assessed their influence on skin characteristics. In a previous study, we identified the short-term effects of wearing face masks. Herein, we describe the long-term skin effects of face masks, for a period of 6 months. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Healthy volunteers (19 men and women), who wore face masks, participated in the study from June 2020 to December 2020. In all participants, skin characteristics such as trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration, skin elasticity, skin pore area, skin keratin amount, skin temperature, skin redness, skin temperature, skin redness, and skin color were measured three times. RESULTS: TEWL, skin hydration, skin elasticity, skin pore area, skin keratin amount, and skin color changed significantly after 6 months. TEWL, skin hydration, skin pore area, skin keratin amount, and skin color were significantly different between the mask-wearing and non-mask-wearing areas. CONCLUSION: Long-term daily use of face masks can alter skin characteristics. Special care should be focused on the mask-wearing regions.

Evaluation of changes in skin characteristics due to the poor quality of sleep caused by smartphone usage.

BACKGROUND: Blue wavelengths are thought to have an effect on circadian rhythms. Using a smartphone, which emits a 453 nm blue light, can worsen the quality of sleep. AIMS: To study the skin changes caused by poor sleep quality induced by smartphone usage. METHODS: The participants were 22 Korean women aged 20-39 years, with no sleep problems and a Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) score of <5. The participants used a smartphone for 2 h before normal sleep hours. The measurement points were as follows: after a good sleep (D0), after bad sleep day 1 (D1), after bad sleep day 3 (D3), and after bad sleep day 7 (D7). The sleep time, wake-up time, shallow sleep rate, and sleeping time duration were recorded using a smartwatch. RESULTS: The quality of their sleep deteriorated. The average time of falling asleep extended to 2 a.m., which was about 34 min later. Additionally, their skin moisture content decreased, and sebum content increased. Skin desquamation was increased, and skin gloss, transparency, and elasticity decreased mainly on the skin surface. CONCLUSIONS: Sleep quality decreases with smartphone usage among people who do not usually use their smartphones before going to sleep and do not have any sleep problems. The results showed significant changes in skin optics and surface properties when the quality of sleep was degraded for 7 days.