The development of acne vulgaris due to face masks during the pandemic, risk awareness and attitudes of a group of university students

Abstract

Background Recent work conducted with healthcare workers and middle-aged populations has recognized the association between acne vulgaris (AV) and mask-wearing. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between the face mask and AV in a group of university students, triggering factors, the awareness, and attitudes of the students. Methods A face-to-face survey was conducted to 200 participants (84 males, 116 females) who composed of third- and fifth-grade medical faculty students. The questionnaire compiled the demographic data, skin care habits, mask-wearing habits, skin lesions developed on their faces with the use of face masks, awareness, and attitudes of the students. Results The mean age of the participants was 21.39 +/- 1.34 (range, 19-26 years). While 40.5% of the students developed new AV, 20.5% had exacerbation of their old AV. Lesions developed most frequently in the cheek (51%) and chin (45.5%) regions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, being female (p = 0.04), prolonged masks use (p = 0.001), and fewer mask changes throughout the day (p = 0.01) were found to be associated with the development of AV. Moreover, 90.5% of students stated that the face mask could cause the development of AV. The most frequent protective precautions of the students were the intermittent removal of face masks and regular handwashing. Conclusion The use of face masks triggers the development of AV in young people. Wearing masks over long periods of time without breaks and infrequently changing one's mask throughout the day may lead to the development of new or worsening of AV in young populations.