face with medical mask
Unicode: 1F637
Description
A yellow circular face with its head wrapped in bandages, typically covering one side of the face, with an expression of pain or discomfort.
Group:
Smileys & Emotion > face-unwell
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Typically represents injury, sickness, recovery, pain, or feeling unwell. Can also imply sympathy or concern for someone who is suffering.
Backstory
This emoji was introduced in Unicode 6.0 (2010), representing a common visual cue for being hurt or sick, drawing from universal imagery of a bandaged head. It quickly became a standard way to convey physical discomfort or recovery in digital communication.
Usage Examples
- Indicating sickness: 'I'm feeling a bit under the weather today 🤕'
- After a minor injury: 'Just a small bump on the head, but I'll be fine 🤕'
- Expressing empathy: 'Sorry to hear you're not feeling well 🤕'
- During recovery: 'Still recovering from the flu 🤕'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Commonly used to indicate feeling ill, having a headache, or recovering from a minor injury. Less often used for serious conditions.
East Asian culture:
Similar usage, often used to express sympathy or to indicate that one is feeling under the weather or recovering from something.