Smile Free

In the Western world, the widespread masking of healthy people is a recent phenomenon and, as such, research into the potential harms is in its infancy. There are a lot of unknowns, particularly with regards to the impact of long-term wear on children.

Nonetheless, there is accumulating evidence face coverings may be associated with the following physical health risks:

• Headaches
• Skin irritation/dermatitis
• Respiratory illness/pneumonia
• Fatigue and dehydration
• Reduced heart & lung efficiency
• Exposure to contaminants in the textiles
• Increased risk of falls in the elderly
• Eye dryness/irritation

Whereas the physical harms of masks, at least in the short term, can often be categorised as mild to moderate irritants, the social and psychological consequences of hiding our faces from other people are profound and ubiquitous.

Humans are social animals. We need to interact with others and communicate to sustain our wellbeing. The reactions of the people we meet provide continuous feedback about ourselves and the impact we are having on our fellow citizens. Masks are a major impediment to all these human requirements and, as such, they are de-humanising.

More specifically, the social and psychological harms of face coverings include:

• Inhibits emotional expression & social interaction
• Maintains elevated levels of fear
• Excludes the hard of hearing
• Promotes mindless compliance
• Reduces concentration & impaired learning
• Aggravates existing anxiety problems/ re-traumatises
• Barriers to talking therapies
• Create perfect environment for criminals

Won’t masks help reassure people as we return to normal activities?

It has often been suggested that face coverings can reassure people that they are safe to return to shops, restaurants and other community venues, thereby aiding the economic recovery. The Government endorsed this view in their response to an anti-mask petition when they argued that masks could ‘give people more confidence’ when shopping and therefore encourage them to return to the high street.

But as any psychological therapist knows, the assertion that face coverings will reduce people’s anxieties about contracting a virus is absurd.

As already mentioned, masks act as a crude reminder that danger is all around. Furthermore, they constitute what psychologists refer to as a ‘safety behaviour’ that acts to prevent disconfirmation of anxious beliefs; continuing to wear masks will maintain fear as the wearer may attribute their survival to the mask rather than conclude that it is now safe to return to normal activities.

To recommend masks as a source of reassurance is akin to insisting people wear a garlic clove around their necks to reduce their fear of vampires.

Numerous discarded face masks litter our streets, as a brief walk in any neighbourhood will confirm. Concern is rising about the environmental damage likely to result from this new major source of pollutants.

Disposable face masks are typically made of non-recyclable plastic. It has been estimated that, each day in the UK, 53 million masks are being sent to landfill waste sites, with many more reaching our rivers and oceans.

Scientists are particularly worried about the dangerous chemicals emitted when masks find their way into our waterways. One study detected a range of potential toxins following emergence in water, including plastic fibres, silicon, poly-ethylene glycol, cadmium, copper and antimony.