Megan Kaufman, MD, FAAD, MSHA
Biography
Originally from Naples, FL, Dr. Kaufman completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida followed by her Doctor of Medicine at Chicago Medical School. She completed an internal medicine internship at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York City and her dermatology residency at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For additional expertise, she followed her dermatology training with a Pediatric Dermatology and Laser Fellowship at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Her personal interests include travel, health and wellness, Gator football, and spending time with family, friends and her dog, Max.
Articles & Interviews
Your Skin and Masks: Advice to Keep Skin Healthy While Wearing Masks
By Gabriele Williams, WECT
Posted July 8, 2020
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we’re now wearing a face covering most of the day. During the hot and humid months, it can be irritating for your skin and even cause breakouts.
WECT spoke to some local experts to share some advice for those struggling with their skin while wearing a mask.
Dr. Megan Kaufman with Wilmington Health says when it comes to the material of a mask, cotton is best.
It’s important the mask is snug, yet comfortable for it to be effective yet harmless on your skin.
“Make sure fits securely to eliminate friction,” said Dr. Kaufman. “Wash daily with fragrance-free detergent.”
If the mask is too tight or slides around on your skin, it can be irritating. That will cause you to touch your face and mask more which can transfer germs to your mask and your face.
“Cloth would be the best option,” said Brandi Thomas, an esthetician at Seagrass Salon and Day Spa in Wilmington. “It’s a pain, but you need to wash them daily. You can wipe them with a rubbing alcohol swab or spray them just to disinfect them. And for the single-use…I always recommend my clients or anyone honestly to throw the single-use away after the end of the day.”
Many organizations recommend washing your face covering every day to remove oils and skin cells that collect inside the mask.
For those experiencing breakouts on their skin because of the mask, Dr. Kaufman says it’s usually due to the mask occluding the oil glands.
“Not washing the mask daily, wearing make-up/heavy creams underneath the mask, sweating under the mask, not taking mask breaks, not washing face regularly, not following regular acne or rosacea treatment can lead to acne,” said Dr. Kaufman.
For those with dry skin, Thomas has some recommendations.
“You want to nourish that lipid barrier of your skin,” said Thomas. “You want to incorporate ingredients like fatty acids, aloe, oatmeal, honey…things that are going to calm it but keep repairing that barrier. As far as oily, you’ll want to use things like salicylic, benzoyl peroxide, certain retinols.”
Experts suggest taking off your mask for 15 minutes every four hours. To be safe, be sure to do this outdoors, inside your car, or at home.
Dr. Kaufman recommends washing your face every morning and night with a gentle cleanser.
She says choosing non-comedogenic moisturizers and using them morning and night to both soothe skin from friction and help create a barrier.
Dr. Kaufman says if you’re still experiencing issues, like persistent acne or irritation, you should consult a dermatologist.
“So there’s only so much we can do as humans to keep our skin clean,” said Thomas. “If you’re cleaning your face and you’re cleaning the mask, you’re going to hinder that bacteria from thriving in that environment.”
CLINICAL INTERESTS
Dr. Megan Kinney Kaufman enjoys seeing both children and adults with all skin conditions and concerns. Her special interests include laser dermatology, vascular lesions, and scars.
Interested in ordering dermatologist-recommended skin care products? Before you order, make sure you’re registered in our Wilmington Health Dermatology rewards program by calling 910.796.7719 for future in-office and online coupons and specials! Then, purchase online at www.colorescience.com. Only an email address is required.
Patient Satisfaction
Our patient satisfaction surveys help us identify areas of improvement to work toward providing you with the best healthcare in the area. Patient satisfaction, along with increasing the quality of care delivered and reducing healthcare costs, are the three organizational objectives we focus on each and every day.
Provider Specific Scores
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6. How would you rate how well this provider communicates? (easy to understand, listens carefully to you, shows respect for what you had to say, sensitivity, friendliness)
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7. Using a number from 1 to 5, where 5 is the best provider possible and 1 is the worst provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?
How does Megan Kaufman compare?
| Question | Megan |
|---|---|
| 1. How would you rate getting an appointment as soon as you needed? | 4.42 |
| 2. When you contact the office, how would you rate getting the help or advice you need? | 4.48 |
| 3. How would you rate the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff? | 4.72 |
| 4. How would you rate the comfort and cleanliness of the waiting area? (How neat, comfortable, pleasant was the waiting room) | 4.67 |
| 5. Wait time includes the time you spend in the waiting area and the exam room before you see your provider. How would you rate the amount of time that you had to wait to see the provider? | 3.95 |
| 6. How would you rate how well this provider communicates? (easy to understand, listens carefully to you, shows respect for what you had to say, sensitivity, friendliness) | 4.85 |
| 7. Using a number from 1 to 5, where 5 is the best provider possible and 1 is the worst provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider? | 4.83 |
| 8. When this provider orders a blood test, x-ray, or other test for you, how would you rate how well this provider’s office follows up to give you those results? | 4.61 |
| 9. How would you rate how easy it is to get appointments with specialists? | 3.76 |
| 10. Considering all aspects of the office, would you say that you are: completely satisfied, very satisfied, somewhat satisfied, somewhat dissatisfied, or very dissatisfied? | 4.50 |
Locations
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Monkey Junction – 5211 South College Road
Monkey Junction- Wilmington
Dermatology
910-395-3477 Text or Call
910-793-5640 Fax