How to deal with COVID-related skin issues

COVID-19 severely impacted all our lives. Even if you didn’t get sick with the virus, your day-to-day life suddenly looked very different. You had to wear a mask, disinfect your hands regularly, maintain social distancing, stay home, and restrict your movements. It’s likely you are still dealing with at least some of the physical and emotional effects of this drastic change to our lives. 

Many people began to notice skin issues during the pandemic. Wearing masks caused breakouts and irritation, frequent hand-washing dried-out skin, and some people found their skin became sensitive to the touch after a COVID-19 infection. A new reality meant having to care for skin in a new way. Let’s look at how COVID-19 may have affected your skin and how you can get it back in tip-top shape. 

Your skin is affected by a wide range of factors. Your general health, environment, lifestyle choices, and stress levels all affect your skin. During the pandemic, many people noticed changes to how their skin looked and felt. 

Mask-wearing can cause breakouts and skin irritation. Spending more time indoors reduces exposure to daylight and fresh air and increases time spent in heated and air-conditioned environments. Changes in eating and drinking habits can also have a visible effect.

Stress hormones can also visibly impact your skin health. They can cause increased inflammation and oil production, slow down wound healing, and trigger flare-ups of existing skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis. 1 Managing stress is key to good skincare. 

Moisture is important for healthy, comfortable skin. Washing hands frequently leads to dried out, sore, or cracked skin which can leave you more vulnerable to picking up infection. 2 So while hand hygiene is important, moisturizing hands is equally vital. 

COVID-19 infection has also been reported to cause skin rashes, sores or ulcers, swollen, tender, discolored fingers or toes, and abnormally high levels of sensitivity. 3

If you noticed some of these effects during or after the COVID-19 pandemic, how can you get your skin back on track? 

Developing and maintaining good skincare habits is important to keeping skin healthy throughout your life. You don’t have to have a complex multi-step routine or buy expensive products to care for your skin well. In fact, when it comes to skincare products, less is often more. 

Get into the habit of cleansing and moisturizing your face morning and night, using simple, fragrance-free products that don’t irritate your skin. Use lukewarm water to wash your face, as hot water can dry out skin and cause irritation and dryness. If you experience extreme irritation, sensitivity, or issues like acne, it’s a good idea to speak to your healthcare provider, who may refer you to a dermatologist. 

After you wash your hands thoroughly, gently pat them dry and apply hand cream as soon as your hand sanitizer has dried. This will help to keep your hands and nails in good condition. Harsh disinfectants can irritate skin, so try to use sanitizers that have been developed with hand health in mind. 

Always wear a clean mask that is snug, but comfortable. A tight mask may increase irritation. 

Cleanse and moisturize your face morning and night, and wash your face after sweating or wearing a mask for a long time. If you can, avoid wearing make-up on the lower parts of your face. If your skin is irritated or raw from mask-rubbing, a mild cortisone cream can help relieve soreness and itching. 4

Avoid cleansers that contain potential irritants like alcohol or perfume. If you have acne or blocked pores, choose a medicated cleanser that contains ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. If you have very sensitive skin, ask a dermatologist before choosing a cleanser. Moisturizer is important even if you have acne or very oily skin. Choose a non-comedogenic moisturizer that won’t block your pores.

While fresh air and daylight are important to good skin health, protecting your skin from the sun is crucial. Choose an SPF of 30 or above and reapply as needed to ensure your skin is protected from sun damage. Try to avoid or reduce the use of tanning beds, as these can cause UV damage. 

Reducing stress is good for your overall health 5 and can have a visible impact on your skin, too. Stress hormones can cause skin problems, heighten sensitivity, and make existing issues worse. If you’re concerned about your skin, tackling stress is a very good place to start. 

Meditation, mindfulness, exercise, deep breathing, and yoga can all benefit your skin health. But we all wind down differently, so find an activity that relaxes you and make more time for it in your schedule. 

Working mindfulness into your skincare routine is also a good way of reducing stress while caring for your skin. Pay close attention to qualities of the experience, like your breathing, how your skin feels, the temperature of the water, the subtle fragrance of your products, and the light in the room. By working mindfulness into your skincare routine, you have an opportunity morning and evening to both reduce stress and improve your skin. 

When life gets tough, embracing self-care is important. As well as incorporating good skincare habits into your routine, try to drink enough water, get enough sleep, eat healthily, maintain connections with loved ones, and have a little fun. Caring for your overall wellbeing will have a positive effect on your skin, too. 

The COVID-19 pandemic confronted many of us with healthcare needs we may not have noticed before. Caring for skin adequately is just one of those challenges. Take a moment to think about what you learned about your skin’s needs during the pandemic. What can you apply to your skincare routine going forward? 

If stress, lifestyle changes, or a COVID-19 infection caused new skin issues or sensitivity, assess how your skin’s needs have changed and how you can use this information to meet them differently. If you’re not sure, speak to your healthcare provider or book an appointment with a dermatologist who can give you specific advice. 

Like a lot of things during the pandemic, dermatology went online. You can now book virtual dermatology consultations. This is a good option for those who still need or wish to social distance or who want a more convenient way to get a diagnosis. To ensure the best experience for your online consultation, you will need a stable connection and may need to send clear photographs of the affected area. 

In many ways, your skin is a window on your health. It can tell you a lot about what your body needs or reacts badly to. Unusually stressful events such as the pandemic can highlight the ways in which our skin needs more care. Take this opportunity to give your skin what it needs. 

To keep your skin in the best possible condition, try to manage your stress, cleanse and moisturize with mild products, wear sun protection, use hand cream, and make healthy lifestyle choices as often as you can. 

Making self-care part of your regular routine can go a long way to addressing skin issues.

Remember: if you notice any changes in your skin or experience new symptoms, it’s always a good idea to contact your healthcare provider. 

Take care of yourself,

Ada