SEOUL, April 16 (Korea Bizwire) — Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, wearing a face mask has become a part of everyday life, with the number of people having face skin problems increasing.
It has been guessed that the change in skin condition and bacterial multiplication resulting from mask wearing would be the cause of such skin problems.
A research team from the Chung-Ang University Hospital found scientific grounds to bolster such claims.
On Thursday, the research team unveiled the results of a study on the biochemical change that occurs in the face skin before and after mask wearing and its impact on skin troubles.
The research team compared and analyzed the difference in the amount of skin moisture, the amount of moisture loss, the amount of red spots on skin, the amount of sebum secretion, pH, and skin temperature before and after wearing surgical masks or public health masks (KF94).
The study showed that the cheeks and the tip of nose covered by face masks showed an increase in the amount of skin moisture, the amount of moisture loss, the amount of red spots on skin and the amount of sebum secretion compared to the forehead and the middle of the forehead.
The level of pH and skin temperature also increased after mask wearing.
The longer masks are worn, the more such changes occur. The research team concluded that the study objectively confirmed the fact that wearing a face mask for an extended period of time can lead to skin damage.
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