What is empty face syndrome and how to avoid it

Fear of wearing your face uncovered? Several psychologists warn that an important part of the population is prone to suffer from empty face syndrome , that is, the fear of not wearing a mask for health or aesthetic reasons.

Let’s learn more about this syndrome, what its symptoms are and, if there is any way to avoid it.

In several countries of the European Union, the mask is no longer mandatory outdoors. Faced with a vaccination campaign that is advancing day by day and with the arrival of good weather, many citizens have celebrated the long-awaited news.

However, there is a very important percentage of the population that is afraid to stop wearing a mask . And this has alerted several psychologists who have already called this feeling as the empty face syndrome , a set of problems that manifests itself in those people who feel insecure when discovering their face for fear of catching it or for aesthetic reasons.

Symptoms of empty face syndrome

“I can catch it”, “It is not safe to go out without a mask”, “I feel unprotected”, are phrases that can reflect this fear. Among the symptoms that this syndrome could manifest are the following:

1. Discomfort to wear your face uncovered in public and even to feel more vulnerable and unprotected.
2. Stress . According to the psychologist Antonio Galiani, in statements to the Nius newspaper , he indicates that the feeling that is experienced when discovering the face after so many months of having covered it can generate a lot of stress. “Stress leaves a mark. You have to reconnect with your factions,” says Galiani.
3. Anxiety . Feeling unsafe and unprotected without the mask can cause anxiety in the person and seriously affect their mood, causing fear, anguish, nervousness, restlessness and sweating.
4. Agoraphobia . Some experts indicate that agoraphobia is possible in people who have developed a very extreme fear of getting infected.
5. Loneliness problems . It can also be seen when a person withdraws excessively and stops socializing with their family and / or social environment.

Although before the pandemic it was natural to go out without any element to cover the face, the fear of COVID-19 itself generates uncertainty in how some people will react.

Therefore, it is important to attend to any symptoms caused by not wearing a mask in open and / or closed spaces.

How to overcome empty face syndrome?

Among the main keys to treating stress and anxiety by exposing your face, experts indicate that it is very necessary for people to assume their emotions and for reunions to be normalized.

Staying positive is also critical to accepting that the end of many limitations caused by COVID-19 had to end at some point. “We must focus on the benefits of breathing fresh air and take another step towards being what we were before,” says Gemma Ramírez, coach, in statements to the Nius newspaper .

Keys to Overcoming Stress and Anxiety

Assuming that one of the main symptoms is anxiety, accompanied by stress and nervousness, the best way to prevent this syndrome from taking over us is to know what anxiety is, how it occurs and what we can do to avoid it .

For example, one of the keys to avoiding anxiety is learning to control your breathing by using strong and slow inhalations and exhalations. It is also advisable to learn to accept fear as something objective that has a solution.

From Hogarmania we recommend that, for any questions that may arise, do not hesitate to consult your family doctor or specialist professional.