Many mask-wearers, especially those who have to wear them for extended periods of time (salute to our medical frontliners!) often suffer from ‘acne mechanica,’ or what is more casually referred to as “maskne.” And while it’s the most important thing ever to don a mask right now, Dr. Vicki Belo knows how uncomfortable masks can be. 

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Saturday PSA: there’s still a global pandemic going on so please #WearAMask 😷 (via @katieisdoodling)

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“[Acne mechanica] is induced by the blockage of oil glands in the skin of the face and worsened by heat and humidity,” Dr. Hayden Kho explained in an Instagram post. “The solution? Visit [Belo] and request for a personalized acne regimen. Use masks that are made of light, breathable fabrics,” he suggested.

Dr. Belo, of course, has her own recommendations. “Wash your hands often, so that when you touch your face, it’s not dirty. And worst of all, our mouth is one of the dirtiest parts of our body. Before, when we talk, pumupunta [yung droplets] sa labas. Pero ngayon, nagba-bounce back siya. And it bounces around the area where our mask covers, so that’s why we’re breaking out,” she explained in her FB Live session last July 15. That’s why she’s offered up a few solutions to minimize, and eventually banish, mask-related breakouts. 

Tips You Can Practice Right Now

Here are Dr. Belo’s tips for combatting maskne, which you can immediately do:

• As much as possible, do not reuse your disposable surgical masks. They are designed for one-time use. Consider washable cloth masks as an option, but be sure to get the kind with a pocket for a filter.
• When you get home, clean your hands and face immediately. 

Products to Stop Face Mask-Related Acne

Dr. Belo recommends quite a few products from The Belo Shop that can help alleviate acne for the skin underneath your face mask. Here they are:

• To stop the skin from getting irritated, you can use Belo Prescriptives Acne Astringent
• Belo Prescriptives Acne Drying Cream can be used on already existing pimples.
• Dr. Belo’s personal technique: When you feel a pimple coming on, you can apply ZO® Exfoliation Accelerator to try and thwart the pimple from appearing. 

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Cleanse, mattify, and calm with #TheBeloShop’s bestselling ZO® Oil Control Pads ⭐️ Link in bio to shop!

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Acne can also be caused by excessive oil production. To try and regulate this, our bestselling  ZO® Oil Control Pads are the key. These handy little pads are soaked in a special solution that helps to regulate oil, soothe irritation, and treat existing acne (thanks to the salicylic acid). A tip from Julia Barretto: cut up the pads with scissors to save money!

Treatments You Can Try to Stop Face Mask-Related Acne

As Dr. Hayden mentions above, you can always visit us and ask for a personalized acne regimen if even at-home treatments aren’t working for you. Aside from the usual facial cleaning treatments that extract blackheads and whiteheads from your pores, here are other services you may want to consider:

• Want something non-invasive? Inara Light Therapy is a non-invasive light therapy procedure that thermally stimulates cells and destroys acne-causing bacteria (using blue LED light). To reduce mask-related inflammation or limit oil production, red LED light can be used.
• Alternately, you can try the Opera LED Mask. It’s a light therapy treatment, too, but it not only addresses acne, but also helps improve the appearance of freckles, sun spots, and age spots.
• Need to start anew? For congested skin that suffers from blackheads or whiteheads, the PCA/TCA Peel helps control oil and even out skin color. This solution helps your skin banish dead skin cells faster, deep cleanses your pores, and helps healthier, younger skin cells surface. Goodbye, gross, dull underneath-the-mask skin.
• Looking to stop oil production at the root? The Agnes treatment is the answer. “We actually burn the [sac] so that no oil can accumulate there anymore…It’s especially for the chin, it’s also for the oiliness, so you’re less oily [and] get fewer pimples,” Dr. Belo explained during her segment at the Cosmo BeautyCon 2019.

As you can see, there’s no need to panic. Nobody panic! Belo has a ton of solutions for maskne, whether you need an at-home fix or a more intense beauty plan that involves trips to our clinic. Start your journey at The Belo Shop, or call 8819-BELO to speak with one of our doctors about which path will work for you. Don’t forget to keep on wearing a mask!