ArticleContact dermatitis2020
Short-term skin reactions following use of N95 respirators and medical masks.
Article in Contact dermatitis, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
71 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Evaluation of evidence of prevention and management of facial pressure injuries in medical staff.Nursing open · 2023Pooled it
- Physio-metabolic and clinical consequences of wearing face masks-Systematic review with meta-analysis and comprehensive evaluation.Frontiers in public health · 2023Pooled it
- Facial dermatoses induced by face masks: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.Contact dermatitis · 2022Pooled it
- Compromised skin barrier induced by prolonged face mask usage during the COVID-19 pandemic and its remedy with proper moisturization.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2023Trial
- Risks and benefits of face masks in children.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2026Review
- The Effects of N95 Masks on Sinonasal Symptoms and Opinions of Healthcare Workers in Singapore.Cureus · 2025Article
- Potential Impacts of Prolonged Face Mask Use on Temporomandibular Joint Health as Neglected Lifestyle Repercussions of COVID-19 Pandemic-A Narrative Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2024Review
- Facial Dermatoses Associated With Mask-Wearing in the COVID-19 Era: A Nationwide, Cross-Sectional, Multicenter, Questionnaire-based Study.Annals of dermatology · 2024Article
- N95 respirators alter facial skin physiological functions and lipidome composition in health care personnel.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2024Article
- Effect of Face Masking on Transmission of SARS-CoV-2.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2024Article
- Review
- Facial Papulopustular Eruption during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Patients Treated with EGFR Inhibitors.Dermatology research and practice · 2024Article
- Factors associated with mask-induced dermatosis and its impact on patients' quality of life.Dermatology reports · 2023Article
- Fit evaluation of NIOSH approved N95 filtering facepiece respirators with various skin protectants: A pilot study.Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene · 2023Article
- Characterisation of superficial corneocytes in skin areas of the face exposed to prolonged usage of respirators by healthcare professionals during COVID-19 pandemic.Journal of tissue viability · 2023Article
- Occupational Skin Dermatitis among Healthcare Workers Associated with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Literature.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Post-Inflammatory Hypopigmentation: Review of the Etiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Treatment Options.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Biophysical and biochemical changes in skin health of healthcare professionals using respirators during COVID-19 pandemic.Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI) · 2023Article
- Effects of wearing masks during COVID-19 pandemic on the composition and diversity of skin bacteria and fungi in medical workers.Frontiers in microbiology · 2023Article
- Effect of COVID-19 and Face Masks on the Condition of Rosacea - A Retrospective Analysis of 87 Patients.Clinical, cosmetic and investigational dermatology · 2023Article
11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundIn the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases of adverse skin reactions related to the wearing of masks have been observed.
objectivesTo analyze the short-term effects of N95 respirators and medical masks, respectively, on skin physiological properties and to report adverse skin reactions caused by the protective equipment.
methodsThis study used a randomized crossover design with repeated measurements. Twenty healthy Chinese volunteers were recruited. Skin parameters were measured on areas covered by the respective masks and on uncovered skin 2 and 4 hours after donning, and 0.5 and 1 hour after removing the masks, including skin hydration, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), erythema, pH, and sebum secretion. Adverse reactions were clinically assessed, and perceived discomfort and non-compliance measured.
resultsSkin hydration, TEWL, and pH increased significantly with wearing the protective equipment. Erythema values increased from baseline. Sebum secretion increased both on the covered and uncovered skin with equipment-wearing. There was no significant difference in physiological values between the two types of equipment. More adverse reactions were reported following a N95 mask use than the use of a medical mask, with a higher score of discomfort and non-compliance.
conclusionsThis study demonstrates that skin biophysical characters change as a result of wearing a mask or respirator. N95 respirators were associated with more skin reactions than medical masks.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.