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
Love it or raze it?
February 20, 2026
An architectural magazine covered the demolition of UC's Crosley Tower.
Social media linked to student loneliness
February 20, 2026
Inside Higher Education highlighted a new study by the University of Cincinnati that found that college students across the country who spent more time on social media reported feeling more loneliness.
Before the medals: The science behind training for freezing mountain air
February 19, 2026
From freezing temperatures to thin mountain air, University of Cincinnati exercise physiologist Christopher Kotarsky, PhD, explained how cold and altitude impact Olympic performance in a recent WLWT-TV/Ch. 5 news report.