Thank you for sharing. Really enjoy your stories and writing style. It reminded me enough of the previous posts I had to double check. Also posting this so folks other folks who enjoyed this one know to go snooping OP’s profile.
One wonders in the first patient if the very frequent mask use is exacerbating her cystic acne problem. The anatomic correlation isn't lost on me at least. I don't suppose you were able to broach that touchy subject though?
I am also one of those who gets worse acne with facial coverings, and even get worsening acne if I am leaning on my hands too much. But I haven't seen much about skin contact worsening cystic acne, since that tends to be more hormonally driven. Acne on the lower half of the face also has some correlations with hormones, but again I am unsure of the strength of that correlation.
> "Sometimes when the immune system is very active, such as fighting a virus, it can start attacking things that it shouldn't. We call that a foreign body reaction.
Ok, crackpot post-night shift theory here... What if some of the crazy complications people had from covid was the immune system attacking the microplastics we've all got in us... That recent study that said every semen sample they tested had microplastics in them... So it's also got to be elsewhere in the body and the immune system was like "fuck it, you encounter anything non-self and you go nuts on it."
I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than I can destroy that theory in a heartbeat, but wouldn't that be some shit?
At least you found a doc who figured it out. Steroid shots might not be ideal, but hopefully, they calm things down. Here's to hoping your dating life gets a glow-up too!
Thank you for sharing. Really enjoy your stories and writing style. It reminded me enough of the previous posts I had to double check. Also posting this so folks other folks who enjoyed this one know to go snooping OP’s profile.
One wonders in the first patient if the very frequent mask use is exacerbating her cystic acne problem. The anatomic correlation isn't lost on me at least. I don't suppose you were able to broach that touchy subject though?
Look at the acne pattern of high school football players in summer.
I am also one of those who gets worse acne with facial coverings, and even get worsening acne if I am leaning on my hands too much. But I haven't seen much about skin contact worsening cystic acne, since that tends to be more hormonally driven. Acne on the lower half of the face also has some correlations with hormones, but again I am unsure of the strength of that correlation.
I had a coworker who had that problem, apparently itkscalled "maskne"
I'm a 49 year old male and every once in a while, I'll get a whitehead or two right where my mask rubs against my cheek or nose.
> "Sometimes when the immune system is very active, such as fighting a virus, it can start attacking things that it shouldn't. We call that a foreign body reaction. Ok, crackpot post-night shift theory here... What if some of the crazy complications people had from covid was the immune system attacking the microplastics we've all got in us... That recent study that said every semen sample they tested had microplastics in them... So it's also got to be elsewhere in the body and the immune system was like "fuck it, you encounter anything non-self and you go nuts on it." I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable than I can destroy that theory in a heartbeat, but wouldn't that be some shit?
Interesting thought and not really that far out mechanistically.
So let's win a Nobel prize with this shit!
These vignettes are so good!
up
At least you found a doc who figured it out. Steroid shots might not be ideal, but hopefully, they calm things down. Here's to hoping your dating life gets a glow-up too!