Suffering from breakouts under your mask? How to fight maskne!

Maskne: What is it?

The medical term for “maskne” is acne mechanica, a skin condition brought on by prolonged wear of facial personal protective equipment. Acne mechanica is caused by heat, friction, and lack of air. This is exacerbated from wearing a mask for an extended period of time. The tiny hair follicles in your pores get clogged due to the mask pressure, sweat, and oil build-up, resulting in an overgrowth of acne bacteria.

Maskne: How to prevent it? 

• Don’t try to squeeze your pimples; it my cause the spread of bacteria and also cause scarring.
• Disinfect the inside of your mask with >60% alcohol.
• Hand-wash fabric masks after each use. Soft, cotton ones are best.
• Keeping the area clean is key!

Maskne: How to treat it?

1. Cleanse with a gentle yet effective cleanser like the Skin Savvy Rx Foaming Cleanser.
2. Use salicylic acid and glycolic acid (BHAs) to exfoliate deep into your pores to remove the dead skin cells and excess sebum.
3. Consider a spot treatment or a face wash with acne-fighting product such as Skin Savvy Rx Pore Pads and Revision Skincare Black Mask
4. Incorporate a gentle retinol formula such as Revision Skincare Retinol 1.0
5. Keep your skin hydrated with humectants like hyaluronic acid that draws in moisture, & moisturized with a noncomedogenic moisturizer that contains skin barrier strengthening ingredients like ceramides. These are the key ingredients in the Skin Savvy Rx Ultra Lite Hydration Moisturizer!

Maskne: In-office solution?

Our top treatment recommendation is Signature Hydrafacial! No congested pores or acne allowed! HydraFacial cleanses, exfoliates, and extracts pores while infusing skin with hydrating ingredients!

Hydrafacials are rated 98% “Worth It” by Real Self users and Skin Savvy patients!

The Hydrafacial is performed using the HydraFacial® machine! This machine is designed to have a handheld device that uses four different HydroPeel tips and various skincare solutions (chemical exfoliants, antioxidants, and hydrating serums like hyaluronic acid) to achieve jaw-dropping results. The spiral design of the tips used in conjunction with the HydraFacial vacuum technology creates a vortex effect to easily dislodge and remove impurities while simultaneously introducing solutions that exfoliate, hydrate and infuse your skin with antioxidants! Hydrafacial is also a fantastic treatment for people with acne because the extractions don’t use pressure that disturbs the skin!

Personalized approach to aesthetics only at Skin Savvy

The best choice of treatment for each patient is based on several individual factors. Taking into consideration the patient’s top skin concerns, a licensed provider at Skin Savvy will advise you of the optimum option during a complimentary consultation!

If you have any questions regarding our acne-prone skin treatments or are ready to get started, feel free to give us a call at (512) 840 0607 and schedule  your appointment! Skin Savvy is a premier boutique medical spa and wellness practice serving clients throughout Austin, Texas and the greater Austin area. We are located in the heart of West Lake Hills, just a short distance from downtown Austin!