A few weeks ago, I started getting a little itch on the tip of my nose. I had no visible flare-up, but just a consistent little itch. (The cutest little itch!) Fast forward to a few days ago and I started getting an itch on my left cheek that then became a visibly flared-up spot within a few hours. “Oh no, not my face again,” I thought. But I stayed positive. Well, I woke up this morning to obvious eczema flare-ups throughout the bottom half of my face and on my lips. Specifically, my lips were swollen and flared at the edges (like an eczema lip liner!) and I had flare-ups throughout my cheeks.
I don’t know why, but I immediately thought this was caused by my face mask. I admit, I haven’t washed my face masks nearly as often as necessary. And maybe a few times I’ve ridiculously worn lipstick for patio date nights with my husband. Lipstick that swelled up my lips and that I probably smeared on the mask that covered my face. Yes, these are the same masks I put on again later without washing them. Not my finest moments!
I used Protopic ointment on my face this morning to get it under control. Thankfully, after an itchy morning, it started improving. I think my face will clear up within a few days - fingers crossed!
So, did my dirty face mask trigger my facial eczema? Who knows?! Maybe it did. Or maybe it was that faux fur blanket I used last week, or the pillow I laid on over the weekend knowing it didn’t have a dust-mite cover. Oh, the joys of skin allergy mysteries! Just to be safe, all of my face masks are currently in the washing machine being cleaned in hot water.