As the COVID 19 pandemic unfortunately still has a firm grip on us, I would like to give you some insight into the special demands that are currently placed on our skin care.
In order to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus we are encouraged to wash our hands more often than we probably have done in the past. In addition, we do not only wash our hands with water, but also with alcohol solutions and detergents to kill germs. This leads to a gradual loss of skin lipids and the hydro-lipid barrier, which the skin is unable to reproduce as quickly, and ultimately to very dry, irritated and cracked skin. These cracks in the skin are an ideal entry point for skin damaging bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus. By continuing to wash our hands excessively, we are thus entering a vicious circle that leads to a skin that can no longer regenerate itself . The situation is particularly fatal for people who already suffer from hand eczema in the initial stages and where excessive hand washing leads to a severe worsening of the symptoms.
Important preventive measures to limit skin damage are consistent skin care after every hand wash with a moisturising product. To accelerate skin regeneration, thickly applying a cream overnight covered with cotton gloves also helps. In addition to products that moisturise the skin and support the skin barrier, those that keep the skin microbiome in balance and worsen the growth conditions for Staphylococcus aureus are also beneficial. Especially for people with a tendency to eczema, who often have a higher colonisation of the skin with this bacterium.
Wearing a mask to prevent infection can also lead to skin problems in the mouth-chin area. Under the mask there is an occlusion effect, a kind of closure effect like in a warm and humid chamber. This leads to a swelling of the skin, a disturbed skin barrier function and an overgrowth of skin-damaging bacteria. The skin can develop "perioral dermatitis" as an overreaction to the skin-unfriendly environment.
A frequent change of the mask and thorough rinsing is very important, especially for sensitive, impure skin. The skin care under the mask should be light, strengthen the skin barrier and support a balanced skin microbiome. To soothe stressed skin, black tea compresses in the mouth area can help. To do this, boil black tea, infuse for 20 minutes and leave to cool, place cotton wool pads with black tea on top. Cotton masks are more comfortable for the protective mask suitable for everyday use because they are more skin-friendly and can be cleaned more thoroughly.
Discussions currently being held in connection with COVID are about a higher risk of infection for skin patients taking immunomodulatory drugs. The drug-suppressed immune system can lead to a more severe course of disease. Infection prevention measures are therefore particularly appropriate for this group of patients.
Finally, COVID-19 infection can manifest itself on the skin, as is the case with other viral diseases. The Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología distinguishes five clinical patterns ranging from blisters similar to chickenpox to signs of occlusion of small blood vessels. Such skin diseases are best left in the hands of a dermatologist.