Dermal Side Effect Of Personal Protective Measures During COVID-19

Background: Since the beginning of the global Covid-19 pandemic crisis,preventing the spread of this virus has become a global concern not only at the level of governments and organizations,but also at the level of individuals.Therefore,it has become necessary for everyone in this world to adhere to a set of preventive measures to protect themselves and people around them from the risk of Covid-19 infection and prevent the spread of the virus.As dermatologists,we must be aware of the extent of damage to human skin caused by the use of preventive equipment,sterilizers and soaps during the Covid-19 pandemic.Aims: The present study aims to explore the effects of long-term use of personal protective equipment and extra personal hygiene on skin health.Methods: Through questionnaire survey,the opinions of 2,300 people in 23 countries were collected.Through the questionnaire,we understand the extent to which people in each country believe in the existence of the virus,their behavior during the pandemic,the level of commitment to personal preventive measures,and the types of disinfectants they use.Moreover,9 medical cases were collected from 9 dermatologists in 9 different countries around the world.Results: Many people who participated in the survey in 23 countries noticed different skin symptoms such as redness,irritation,peeling,dryness and itchy skin.In addition,9 cases collected from different countries were also studied,and they were all related to dermatitis and Maskne.All these cases were caused by the frequent use of soap,sterilized products and preventive equipment to prevent Covid-19.Conclusion: Through the observation of a large number of people whose skin is affected,we found that the Covid-19 pandemic has indirectly affected the health of the skin,because frequent use of preventive equipment,soaps and sterilizers is not a simple matter for human skin.Moderate use of preventive equipment,disinfection equipment and soap during the day has no significant impact on skin health,while incorrect or excessive use of these equipment,soap and sterilizers equipment will have obvious negative effects.Because after checking the answers of people who noticed skin symptoms during the pandemic or people who think the pandemic has affected their skin health,we found through their answers that they washed their hands with soap and water more than 5 times a day,and sterilize their hands more than 5 times a day with alcohol.Or use chlorine,alcohol,and other strong disinfectants to disinfect the surfaces and personal items.Moreover,they noticed that some of them wash their hands with hot water or water that is closest to hot,and believe that the sterilization and disinfection effect of this behavior is more significant.In addition to these wrong behaviors,excessive use of soap and disinfectants is sufficient to deplete the beneficial fats in skin cells,and this considered a sufficient reason to explain the symptoms they saw or felt on the skin,and that is the cause of dermatitis.