ISLAMABAD-Award-winning skin infection expert offers remedies to healthcare staff, and the general public, who are suffering from friction and pressure damage through the use of protective masks. Doctors and nurses on the Covid-19 frontline are spending many hours a day wearing face masks, and many members of the general public are doing the same. But although the devices offer invaluable protection, they can be the cause of significant skin damage through sweating and the rubbing of the masks against the nose. Skin care experts at the University of Huddersfield are warning of the risks and suggesting remedies. Professor Karen Ousey is Director at the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention at the University and she was part of a team that conducted detailed research into the pressure damage that can be caused by a wide range of medical devices, including face masks. Now, the current emergency emphasizes the problems that can arise with face masks being worn for long periods of time by healthcare professionals. The masks the healthcare professionals are wearing have to be fitted to the face. “If healthcare professionals add dressings to the skin under the mask after being fitted, there is a chance that the mask will no longer fit correctly,” continued Professor Ousey.