Face mask-induced skin changes: a new common phenomenon during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

Coronavirus disease 2019 is a severe acute respiratory syndrome, and wearing a mask is an important preventive measure. However, long-term use can cause maskne, or mask-induced acne. This study evaluated the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and severity of mask-induced acne and its effect on pre-existing dermatosis using an online questionnaire. The questionnaire comprised 15 questions on 6 primary topics: demographic data, type of face mask, dermatological symptoms after using a mask, preexisting dermatological conditions, the duration of use, and the effects of mask use on existing dermatological conditions. We included 1,025 participants; 48.6% had dermatological symptoms after using masks. The most common symptoms were red papules (33.8%) and itching (27.2%). Individuals who wore masks for more than 4 hours daily experienced more dermatological symptoms, for example, healthcare providers, who had a higher risk of maskrelated dermatosis than participants with other occupations. Moreover, masks significantly increased the severity of rosacea, contact dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis. These results suggest that board-certified dermatologists should assess patients in larger-scale studies to determine adequate management strategies.

Cutaneous adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines: A Saudi nationwide study.

The coronavirus vaccine was developed to help overcome the COVID-19 crisis. This study aimed to identify the cutaneous side effects secondary to Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines in the general population of Saudi Arabia and to list the risk factors for the development of cutaneous side effects. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2021, self-administered surveys were distributed electronically through social media, and telephonic interviews were conducted with a sample size of 1000 participants. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. A total of 1021 patients (229 male and 722 female) aged 12 years or older were included. While 833 participants were medically free, 188 had chronic illnesses. While 802 participants were not taking any medications, 219 were taking medications regularly. Oxford-Astra Zeneca and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines were administered to 319 and 702 participants, respectively. One-hundred and twenty-five participants previously had COVID-19 infection and 407 were exposed to a PCR positive case of COVID. Six hundred and fifty-nine patients (64.5%) reported experiencing injection site reactions: 606 (59.4%) had injection site pain, 168 (16.5%) had injection site swelling, and 107 (10.5%) had injection site redness. Only 51 patients (5%) experienced cutaneous side effects after injection. A significant association was found between chronic illnesses and cutaneous side effects post-vaccine (9% vs. 4.1%; p value = 0.005). Patients on medications showed a higher rate of symptoms (8.2% vs. 4.1%; p value = 0.005). Age, gender, vaccine types, and history of COVID-19 infection were not significantly associated with cutaneous side effects post-vaccine.