Jennifer Wang
After a 12 hour shift Marie is exhausted. But her day is not over. After taking off her mask she faces issues most of us only have in our nightmares.
Chaffing on cheeks, pressure marks, deep and even scaring cystic pimples. As Marie puts it: “I sometimes cry when I look at what my skin has become, I’m not even sure I recognize that I’m the same person that went into work.”
A Mini Crisis of It’s Own
The truth is, Marie isn’t alone. A quick look through Reddit, Instagram or any of the major social media platforms will show thousands of women sharing their skin care struggles while fighting the front lines of the COROVID-19 pandemic.
One of Marie’s close friends and coworker Alejandra Gutierrez puts it “In our hospital we all joke that we finally get to look our best in scrubs, as the masks hide just how bad our skin has gotten, I still love my job more than anything, but it’s down right heartbreaking to see whats happening. It’s not just uggly, it’s extremely painful to have something rubbing your nose, mouth and eyes until they are raw and bleeding. When you add to that the stress of seeing people dying and the fear of contracting the desease and even spreading it to our families… it’s a lot to deal with.”
Lack of PPE Contributing to the Problem
Further complicating matters is the lack of available PPE. As Alexis Johnson put it: “We have to wear the same mask for our entire shift and sometimes if there aren’t enough for the next day, we have to reuse our masks several days in a row. Since we are running and sweating and the mask presses hard against our face, this really tears into your skin with the salt of our own sweat.”
The best way to think of N95 masks is to imagine a giant suction cup that completely covers the mouth and nose in which no air is coming out or in underneath the opening. In a way, this means extended use of medical PPE can basically suffocate the skin.
“Since we can’t touch the mask or our face, the pressure basically builds up all day, and I’ve seen ulcers and infections develop as a result of over-using and re-using PPE.” Commented Alexis.
Pro Active Skin Care and Self Care
“The amazing thing is how much we are cooperating and working together.” Commented Marie. “We have been going on social media and particularly Reddit to find some great skin care advice. One thing that’s really helped is hydrocolloid bandages on the parts of high pressure to prevent breakouts.
Dermatologists have also stepped up. Many are giving away free consultation to front line workers and others are taking to the internet to try and get positive skin care messages out. We’ve seen some suggestions to apply a layer of soft gauze or bandage prior to putting masks back on to alleviate some of the pressure and avoid having the salts from sweat the masks has absorbed from acting as an abrasive to the skin.”
A common piece of advice given is to go back to the basics: wash your face with a quality face wash, moisturize and use an ointment. Sometimes a good step after using a moisturizer is simply to use Petroleum Jelly. Basically there’s two parts: one is to moisturize and nourish the skin and the other is to add something that removes friction. This of course can worsen conditions like acne which require compounds that generally dry the skin in.
Many Dermatologists are providing free consultations to health care workers affected by PPE Skin. Some people have conditions that are just too complicated to treat at home, such as those that might require steroid patches or antiobiotics.
Bringing Out the Best in the Beauty Community
The beauty community has come together in an amazing effort to support our healthcare workers. Not only are dermatologists everywhere standing up for our front line workers, but also editors from all major beauty magazines are taking in donations of skin care products and care pacakges to gift to hospitals accross the country. While brands, like Thielo Skin Care, for example, are offering free skin care products to those on the front lines.
Industry heavyweights are also using their reach to help raise awareness to the difficulties experienced by our health care workers every day during this global pandemic. Some of the biggest make up artists in the world are teaming up to bring masks, skin care and help to those who need it.
“Beauty is my business,” says Lady Gutierrez from Thielo Skin Care. “[Donating] is something I can do easily to get these doctors what they need. We’re all going to look back on this and ask, ‘What did you do?’ We should all be looking to see if we’re using our platform for something good.”
At the end of the day, it’s really a group effort that will get everyone through this. We can help by staying inside to help flatten the curve. The less overwhelmed our hospitals are, the less the medical staff has to worry about. As Sophie puts it: “What must be done is for everyone to stay the eff home!”
