Investigation of the effects of mask use on the skin in medical students

Objective: The aim of our study is to investigate the existence of signs, symptoms, and dermatitis related to face masks in medical students and to raise awareness about this new dermatological condition. Methods: Our study was conducted among Izmir Katip Çelebi University 3rd-year medical faculty students. The questionnaires were filled out face-to-face by the researchers. Age, gender, mask type (cloth, surgical or N95) and duration of use, symptoms (itching symptom or other symptoms which were burning, tingling, prickling, or pain with or without itching), and signs (erythema, scale, fissure, papule, pustule or vesicle) were asked. Dermatitis if diagnosed by a doctor was also questioned in the survey. Results: Dermatitis was detected more frequently in students whose median mask use time was 5 hours compared to 4 hours (p=0.017) and who used all cloth, surgical, and N95 masks (p=0.018). Conclusion: As the duration of mask use increases, the incidence of dermatitis increases regardless of the mask type. The use of different types of masks also increased the incidence of dermatitis.