Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa, Japan.
Analytical Science Research, Kao Corporation, Ichikai-machi, Tochigi, Japan.
Skin Res Technol. 2022 Sep;28(5):749-758. doi: 10.1111/srt.13196. Epub 2022 Jul 5.
As people have regularly worn facial masks due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, mask-wear-related adverse effects on the skin have been recognized. The aim of this study was to explore skin changes, their seasonal variations in the general population caused by commonly used masks and a possible mechanism underlying negative effects of mask-wearing.
Eighteen Japanese females participated in the study during summer and winter in Japan. Skin characteristics were measured in the non-mask-wearing preauricular area and the mask-wearing cheek and perioral areas.
Trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) on the cheek area tended to be increased in winter, which was positively correlated with skin scaliness on the same area. Ceramide (CER) content and composition in the mask-covered stratum corneum (SC) were slightly changed between summer and winter, and CER [NP]/[NS] ratio was negatively correlated with the TEWL on the perioral skin in winter. Skin hydration and sebum secretion were higher on the cheek compared to the perioral area in summer. Skin redness was particularly high on the cheek in winter.
Mask-wear-related skin changes were season- and facial site-specific, and alterations in SC CER may play a role in barrier-related skin problems caused by mask use.
由于 2019 年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行，人们经常佩戴口罩，因此人们已经认识到口罩佩戴对皮肤的不良影响。本研究旨在探讨由于普通口罩的使用，在普通人群中引起的皮肤变化及其季节性变化，以及口罩佩戴负面效应的潜在机制。
18 名日本女性在日本的夏季和冬季参与了这项研究。在不戴口罩的耳前区域和戴口罩的脸颊和口周区域测量皮肤特征。
脸颊区域的经表皮水分流失（TEWL）在冬季趋于增加，与同一区域的皮肤鳞屑呈正相关。口罩覆盖的角质层（SC）中的神经酰胺（CER）含量和组成在夏季和冬季之间略有变化，冬季口周皮肤的 TEWL 与 CER [NP] / [NS] 比值呈负相关。夏季脸颊的皮肤水分和皮脂分泌高于口周区域，冬季脸颊的皮肤发红尤其明显。
与口罩佩戴相关的皮肤变化具有季节性和面部特定性，SC CER 的改变可能在口罩使用引起的与屏障相关的皮肤问题中起作用。
