Doctor Manny Calayan gives solutions to pandemic skin woes
The maskne or acne caused by wearing face masks is one of the disadvantages that many have to deal with amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doc Manny Calayan gives advice on how to address pandemic skin problems. / Source: Mars Pa More
Aside from being unsightly, acne can also be painful, especially the cystic ones or the breakouts that are large, red, and are hidden underneath your skin.
During a discussion in Mars Pa More's Momergency segment, beauty doctor Manny Calayan gave tips on how to solve common skin problems during the pandemic.
When asked by celebrity socialite Tessa Prieto-Valdes about what type of face mask is best for the skin, Doc Manny advises everyone to prioritize health and safety first.
According to him, although cloth face masks may be fashionable or are more skin-friendly, they do not offer the same protection as the surgical face masks.
“Ang problem kasi if you use cotton-based na tela for the mask, it doesn't protect (you from COVID-19). Hindi siya nakaka-filter.
“So, what I would suggest is use the surgical mask talaga.”
Doc Manny also gave practical advice for fashionistas who find surgical masks too plain for their taste.
“Surgical mask muna and then lagyan n'yo ng kikay mask on top of it.”
He emphasized the importance of proper hygiene in avoiding maskne as well.
“If it's washable, you have to wash it talaga muna. Every day, wash it.
“'Yung disposable mask, you have to change it every day (especially kung) hypersensitive 'yung skin mo.”
So, the bottom line is although surgical face masks may cause maskne, it's still your best bet to avoid catching COVID-19.
So, many of us would have to sacrifice or “tiis-ganda” our way through the rest of the pandemic, until it is completely safe for us to not wear masks in public anymore.
Aside from maskne, Doc Manny also talked about other common skin woes during the pandemic.
He said hyperpigmentation or the darkening of certain areas on the skin has become common during the lockdown, since many people have prolonged exposure to blue rays or radiation from their gadgets.
To address this, he advises people to use sunblock once or twice a day to protect their face from gadgets' blue light.
Finally, Doc Manny revealed that urticaria or hives and psoriasis flare-ups are among the common pandemic skin problems. He said both of them are caused by stress.
So, if you've been suffering from anxiety-induced hives or psoriasis flare-ups, the best thing to do is to relax and avoid stressors.
You can watch the full discussion on pandemic skin problems on the Mars Pa More video above.
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For more features like this, tune in to Mars Pa More from Monday to Friday, at 8:45 A.M. on GMA-7.
And for more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.
You might also want to try Rihanna's super easy 3-step nighttime skincare routine.