YORK, Pa. — Masks come in all different sizes and shapes. And while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still says they are necessary to slow the spread of covid-19, there can be some downsides to wearing them.
"It gets written up in Cosmo even, called "Maskme" and what it is, is actually a few different rashes," said Dr. Sean Campbell with Wellspan Pediatrics.
The most common skin irritation is folliculitis, which looks like tiny little pimples and is often seen in younger kids.
"They tend when they sneeze to sneeze right into their mask and continue to wear it, they tend to pick their nose in the mask, and when they eat , they put it down like a chin diaper and food falls in there and then you put that back on your face and you wear it all day at school," he said.
Another rash being seen in little ones is from dry skin, which he says, is caused by them chewing on their masks. (Think about it this way: if you continue to lick your lips, it eventually causes a breakdown of the skin, and in the end, makes them even more chapped.) Tip: Put moisturizer on every day, morning and night.
The last, but more concerning and highly contagious rash is called impetigo, caused by streptococcus, which lives in someone's nose. It can enter into the system through an open wound on the face. The crusty rash looks like a cigarette burn with a yellow puss.
Jennifer Ranalli didn't think anything of it when her 8 year old daughter Riley complained about her nose hurting.
"She said my nose hurts, my nose hurts and I kind of brushed it off not really thinking and then all of a sudden I looked in her nose one night and I was like oh my gosh, she had huge white pussy blisters in both nostrils," Ranalli said.
While often seen in younger children, impetigo can also affect adults.
"I mean I was really surprised when I got it the first time," said Stephanie Davis who is a medical worker and has to wear a mask sometimes up to 10 hours a day. "You just have to make sure you really keep it clean and dry and try not to peel the scabs off and stuff....it's not fun," she warned.
Impetigo is not painful, unless it's inside someone's nose, unfortunately, like Jennifer's daughter. Luckily, this type of staph infection is also typically very easy to treat. Her doctor prescribed an antibiotic cream for Riley and after applying it twice a day, it cleared up.
"Often it can be easily treated early at home, by just cleaning it up and it will dry up and go away. On the other hand, if it seems to spread, then you need to have to have it seen," advised Dr. Campbell.
We asked the Department of Health what they recommend. They released this statement writing in part:
"It is important for everyone, including children, to use either new disposable face masks, or clean cloth masks each day. Once they are worn throughout the day, they should either dispose or clean the mask. If the mask becomes wet throughout the day, they should swap for a new mask at that time. Anyone who has only a mild or moderate reaction must continue to wear a face covering and these persons may consider wearing a face shield. "
To help prevent all of these skin irritations, experts say the best thing you can do is keep your hands and face as clean as possible and swap masks after wearing them for long periods of time.
RELATED: Have a question about your face mask? Check out the Department of Health's FAQ on universal masking