Elastic material in protective face coverings may be causing allergic reactions in some individuals, according to research from Yashu Dhamija, MD, a first-year fellow in the UC Department of Immunology, Allergy and Rheumatology. He is lead author on a case report that details the story of one patients who developed contact dermatitis shortly after he began wearing a mask to prevent COVID-19.
Dhamija has recommended that individuals with contact dermatitis choose facial masks made without elastic or rubber to allow them to stay safe in the midst of COVID-19 without allergic reaction. The immunologist's research was presented before the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and its findings reported in Yahoo Life. "We wanted to send the message that providers may encounter a new wave of facial rashes due to face masks," Dhamija told Yahoo Life.
Dhamija explains that contact dermatitis is a diagnosis where the body's immune system has developed a hypersensitivity to an allergen.
