Atlanta Journal Constitution: Here is why your face mask could be making you itchy
UC physician presents case study at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
Yashu Dhamija, MD, presented a case study of a patient treated for contact dermatitis after a facial mask with elastics required him to seek hospital treatment. Dhamija, a first-year fellow at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, discussed his findings during this year’s virtual American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Scientific meeting. Atlanta Journal Constitution reported the findings and so did other media.
Emergency room physicians initially prescribed prednisone but when his rash continued the patient was told to use cotton-based, dye-free masks without elastic. Facial masks are a must to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Dhamija said home-made elastic free mask are an option that should be considered in individuals with allergies to elastics and rubber.
Read more about Dhamija's findings.
Other media discuss his research.
Featured image of homemade mask courtesy of Unsplash.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Stay up on all UC's COVID-19 stories, or take a UC virtual visit and begin picturing yourself at an institution that inspires incredible stories.
Related Stories
High Court offers protections for therapy speech
April 5, 2026
Jennifer Bard, a professor in the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law and the UC Department of Internal Medicine, spoke with journalists about the US Supreme Court ruling granting first amendment protections for speech offered during therapy sessions.
Scientists discover how snakes stand upright without limbs
April 3, 2026
Smithsonian magazine highlights a study co-authored by UC Professor Bruce Jayne, an expert in snake locomotion, about how snakes stand upright without arms or legs.
UC design student works with sports greats in co-op
April 2, 2026
Spectrum News profiles UC College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning communication design student Jayden Balwally, who had an internship with the Oklahoma City Thunder and worked with the Heisman Trophy Trust and the College Football Playoff.