Why their faces can be crushed by wearing a mask?
The effective isolation of the N95 mask lies in its complete air tightness, which is fastened to the face by the pressure of the rubber band, and face can be covered under the pressure caused by the rubber band buttoned at the place where there is much facial subcutaneous fat. Due to the protuberance of the nasal bone, the metal pressure sheet lined with soft cushion forms complete air tightness, ensuring that the air outside cannot be inhaled easily even if breathing and speaking, so as to make sure that microorganisms and microparticles outside can be isolated during breathing.
Generally, skin damage will not be caused when wearing a mask for 4 hours in accordance with the instructions due to the certain degree of elasticity of mask band and nose gasket. But frontline medical workers often wear masks for more than 4 hours, resulting in the facial indentation seen in many photos. In the early stage, after removing the mask, the local skin is sunken or indented skin is congested, but if the same part is pressed day after day, especially in the nose, zygomatic and other part with less subcutaneous tissue, it is prone to cause skin damage and skin ulceration. Mainly caused by local skin blood damage under the pressure at the fixed position of the face for a long time, which will be aggravated at the humid environment.
How to prevent the skin damage caused by wearing a mask?
1. Precautions before wearing a mask:
(2) Do not rub the skin hard, dry the skin gently, and then apply a small amount of baby lotion and other products.
(3) It is recommended not to apply cosmetic products such as foundation before wearing masks, because cosmetic products such as foundation cream contain tiny particles, leading to local pore blockage after the pressure, resulting in local infection.
2. Carefully adjust the position when wearing a mask every day. If possible, slightly change the position every day.
3. After daily work:
(1) Wash your face with flowing water after removing the mask. If the skin is slightly red, it is recommended to wash your face with mineral water or clear water. The temperature of water should be controlled between 20℃ and 40℃, which is not overheat or too cold.
(2) Gently massage the facial skin with moisturizer. Baby lotion is recommend, which is usually mild. It is very important to clean your hands before massage. Be sure to trim your nails and wash your hands carefully. It is enough if the facial indentation is eliminated for a short time, and there is no red indentation that is difficult to eliminate.
What should we do if the indentation does not fade for a long time or there is local swelling reaction?
1. In case it is difficult to relieve the indentation, and there is no reaction such as swelling: if the red indentation cannot fade after more than 10 minutes, combine with certain facial treatment including improving local blood circulation following the above-mentioned facial skin cleaning. At this point, if there is only indentation and the epidermis is intact, it is recommended to massage with drugs such as Mucopolysaccharide Polysulfate Cream or Low Molecular Weight Heparin Sodium Gel that can improve local blood circulation. Massage three to four times a day after taking off the mask.
2. In case there has been swelling, after the above treatment, local anti-infective treatment shall be applied in time to prevent the aggravation of infection leading to facial skin damage.
Important tips for preventing and treating facial skin damage:
It is necessary to treat the face damage and ulceration caused by wearing a mask as early as possible.
1. First, clean the wound with flowing water. At present, a large number of studies have pointed out that there is no difference between the ability of cleaning the wound with flowing water and removing bacteria with disinfectants.
2. It is important to take local anti-infective treatment after cleaning. As the common bacteria on the face is Gram-positive bacteria, it is recommended to use ointments such as Mupirocin. This kind of ointment can prevent and treat facial infection, and the moisturizing effect of the ointment can also promote the healing of skin damage.
Note: It is generally recommended not to use disinfectants such as iodophor or alcohol when skin damage occurs unless there is a risk of virus exposure, since they may cause local skin cell damage leading to delayed wound healing when local pathogens are removed by these disinfectants for a short time. Therefore, normal saline should be first applied for cleaning after washing with flowing water. Apply antibacterial ointment after the cleaning, the wound will be generally healed in a short time.