The Covid-19 crisis dramatically changed the way we live. We can no longer socialize with other people like we used to. It changed the way we shop, work, and even how we address skin care.
Some ended taking better care of their overall health while others started doing the exact opposite. With all the quarantining, handwashing, and PPE wearing we had to do, the number of people suffering from skin disorders skyrocketed. The following are pandemic-related skin issues for which many people consult a skincare doctor:
Acne
During the pandemic, people are advised to wear masks to help reduce the spread of the virus. Doctors, front liners, and the people working outdoors may be the only ones who are regularly wearing masks every day. But even those who are quarantining and are using masks every now and then are suffering from acne during the pandemic.
Mask Wearing
People call acne breakouts caused by the wearing of masks as maskne. Our faces can get irritated due to the constant friction of the mask. Sweat and oil swirling also causes acne to break out when we wear masks and PPEs.
Stress
Pandemic-related stress is another common cause of acne breakouts during the crisis. These stressful times boost our cortisol production while increases oil or sebum production. The more oil is produced in the skin, the more chances of acne breaking out.
Inadequate Rest and Sleep
Some people find it extremely hard to get enough rest and sleep. They are anxious about their health and the safety of their loved ones. They actually find comfort by constantly hovering over their screen waiting for goods news in the middle of the crisis.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Others adopted a sedentary lifestyle. Many started binge-eating on their comfort foods. These are, unfortunately, often sweet and processed food items.
Others are exercising less during the crisis. Some find it hard to get up each day to exercise. Others lost their drives while there are those who no longer have the time and energy to exercise when they are already struggling at work and at home.
Increased Cell Phone Use
Don’t forget about people’s increased cell phone use during the pandemic. Continuous friction of your dirty phone screen on your skin introduces various types of germs into your skin. This is why some people often have acne on the side of their cheek they usually use to answer their phones.
Skin Dullness and Premature Aging
These days, many people look as if they got their life sucked out of their skin. They now sport dull-looking skin instead of their usual glow. The reason is their change in skin care and increased screen time.
Increased Screen Time
Your smartphones, computers, and other gadgets contain blue light. Studies show that blue light can have negative impacts on the skin. This can cause the cells in our skin to shrink and die, leading to that dull-looking skin.
Poor Sunscreen Use
Don’t forget the fact that those harmful UV rays can still reach you even if you spend most of your time indoors. Since most people are sheltering in place, they decided to skin their sunscreen thinking there is no need to use some since they are not going out often. Their change in skincare and habits can attribute to skin dullness and premature aging .
Other reasons for premature aging can include the following:
- Aging
- Dryness
- Smoking
- Dehydration
- Lack of moisture
- Dryness or Irritation
- Dead skin cell buildup
As we spend more time indoors, many of us started taking our moisturizers for granted. Other people started taking skincare for granted and went on trying out different skincare products. One’s constant handwashing and face washing can lead to dry or irritated skin.
An indoor and sedentary lifestyle can also mean you are not drinking more water as you should. The fact that we now rely on our HVAC system to keep ourselves comfortable may seem like a usual thing to do. But then, these often lead to skin drying out since it cannot pull enough moisture from the air.
Then there’s the multiple cleaning products we use to sanitize and disinfect the house. We become extremely conscious of how often we clean and disinfect our homes that we stock on multiple cleaning products. More often than not, these are made from harmful chemicals that can cause skin dryness and irritation if we are not careful in handling them.
These are the three skin issues that are common during the pandemic. Many people nowadays struggle with acne, skin dullness, and premature aging during the crisis. Many factors attribute to these skin problems, including one’s change in lifestyle and stress. Making a series of changes in one’s diet, activity levels, sleep, and a better skin care regime can help address such issues. If all else fails, it only makes sense to seek help from the pros.
Meta title: Why People Are Blaming the Pandemic for Their Current Skin Issues
meta desc: Some people struggle more than ever with their skin problems during the pandemic. What are these skin issues? Should these people really blame the global health crisis?
