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Back in the summer, we saw a rash of stories about maskne, a form of acne caused by masks rubbing our skin, characterized by pimples on the lower face.
But dermatologists have spotted a problem: Skin conditions that to the untrained eye look just like acne and might be made worse by masks, but need very different treatment.
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“Acne, perioral dermatitis and rosacea can all present as small red bumps on the face, especially around the mouth and nose, sometimes with pus bumps or pustules,” says Dr. Aegean Chan, a dermatologist based in California. “I have definitely seen an increase in both perioral dermatitis and rosacea during the pandemic, and many colleagues have reported the same. I think it’s multifactorial. The biggest lifestyle difference is mask-wearing. When yo