Any suggestions for when your mask aggravates your face?

[FormerFed]

I have mild rosacea on my face, and guess, overall, my skin irritates quicker than most folks, just carrying a bag of groceries with the handle looped over my wrist can raise a bruise. I wear a dreamwear mask, and the mask frame goes across my face right over my cheekbones. I have dark lines developing over my cheekbones that track exactly where the mask frame goes over my face – just where the mask crosses the prominent part of the cheekbones, though, not the whole side of my face. Seems to be broken capillaries, looks like a bruise. I am thinking that the skin between the bone and the mask frame gets too much pressure between the two when I sleep on my side and this skin is not bearing up well. I have used soft frame covers from day one. My doctor has never seen it happen before. His 1st thought was to loosen the mask as much as he could without triggering the “frownie” face. I’ve found the frowning face a fairly unreliable leak indicator but wasn’t there to argue with him, was there to try to fix a problem, so I didn’t take that up with him, I let him adjust my mask and promised I’d try it at the new, much looser fit. He also recommended that I take the fabric sleeves off the mask frame, that they probably make my mask too bulky and too tight. But it actually seems to me that MORE cushion over the bony part of my face would be more helpful than no cushion - - otherwise, wouldn’t I be getting these marks underneath the entire mask frame and not just where it goes across the pointiest part of the cheek bone? My leaks have been in the high 30s and 40s now, sometimes “frownie” shows up, sometimes not. I think I need a different mask, one that doesn’t use nasal pillows, and which attaches/affixes to a persons head/face at a point or points somewhere other than high over cheekbones. Anyone have a mask that's working for them that sounds like that? Am sort of thinking about devising/designing some sort of lambswool cushion pad to try on the mask I've got - is there anyone out there who has done anything like that?

[robysue]

My first suggestion is that you need to consider changing the DreamWear out for a different mask, one that has more minimal headgear and is "lighter" on the face. The DreamWear's tubes that cross your cheeks are bulkier than many mask frame because they are air tubes that have to be large enough to let the air get into the mask.

You might do better with a more traditional mask as long as the mask does not have a forehead support.

You said you aren't interested in nasal pillows masks. Can I ask why? The reason I ask is the softest, most minimal mask that has no forehead support AND the least amount of "stuff" crossing the cheekbones is the Resmed AirFit P10 nasal pillows mask. The cloth straps that go over the cheeks are very soft and there's no thickness to them to create pressure points when they're trapped between your cheekbone and the pillow when you are lying on your side. The disadvantage is the P10's headgear is only adjustable by pulling the two parts of the head strap apart (to loosen) or together (to tighten) the mask. I've got a small head and I find that I need the regular (not "For Her") headgear when I use the P10. I just can't get the For Her version lose enough for my face and head to be comfortable.

It's also possible that you might do better with one of the SleepWeaver cloth masks. The SleepWeaver Advance nasal mask has one cloth strap that comes down over the forehead and a strap on each side that wraps around across the main part of the cheek instead of crossing the cheekbone itself. But the SleepWeaver masks have a reputation for being somewhat difficult to learn how to get a good seal. Nonetheless, people who can get them to seal often swear they're the most comfortable mask they've ever worn.

Finally you write:

Am sort of thinking about devising/designing some sort of lambswool cushion pad to try on the mask I've got - is there anyone out there who has done anything like that?

It might work---if the extra bulk doesn't increase the pressure from the mask on your cheekbone when you are sleeping on your side. There's a company called Padacheek that makes mask strap pads among other things. If Padacheek doesn't make what you want, you can ask the owner to custom design something for you. Her prices are quite reasonable in my opinion. If you Google Padacheek, you'll find out how to contact her.

[Beej]

I'm wondering if you've ever been tested for autoimmune disease.
Some of those may cause low platelets, which result in easy bruising.

[DeepBreathing]

You could try Pad A Cheek cushions and liners. They have a wide range of products designed to help with mask issues.

[Sleeprider]

I share the rosacea problem. For years using the Swift FX nasal pillows, I had what looked like a burn alongside my eyes where silicone head set parts would rest on my face. I used Pad-A-Cheek covers and they helped a lot. After moving to the Resmed Airfit P10 the problem only happens occasionally. Cleaning the headgear turns out to be important for me, but the lighter softer mask with no exposed silicone in contact with the skin is big.

My dermatologist has recommended laser treatment to reduce the redness and sensitivity, but that kind of thing is not covered by insurance, and doesn't come cheap. I suspect that is what I'll do one of these days. It gets old when every store clerk comments, "gee you've been in the sun", and it's mid-December. I wear hats, sunscreen etc and invariably have people comment on the redness of my face as it looks like sun exposure. The last thing I would need is a mask problem on top of it all.

[FormerFed]

Well, yes, I sure do have autoimmune history/activity. After the last spell and everything that I was tested for turned up negative and I had some prednisone prescribed to get me back on an even keel, blood tests still indicated something was going on, but there wasn't anything else to look for and my doctor said we'd watch it but would probably see that normal, for me, was just always going to be a little off the beam. Nobody ever mentioned bruising would be associated, but I never brought it up, either - I just figured it was just me being the delicate delightful and darling lil' southern belle that I am ... if you knew me you'd be gagging right now

[FormerFed]

robysue,
I had pillows in my sleep study - were very comfortable overnight but a very sore nose woke me toward morning. Didn't calm down for a couple of days, so I don't think that's something I could do every night. Thanks also very much for the suggestions, I'm thinking a different mask is the way to go.

[FormerFed]

Sleeprider,
People don't say anything to me when mine really gets going, I get red from my hairline to my shoulders, and I think they get scared - I look like people look in cartoons when they're so mad they're about to explode. Thanks for the heads up about the silicone.

[FormerFed]

DeepBreathing and robysue,
Thanks, I have not heard of Pad a Cheek before tonight.

[PaulaO2]

I am allergic to neoprene and sensitive to silicone and latex. When I wear my Simplus FFM, I used the Remzzz liners which helped with leaks and kept everything off my skin. With my Nuance, the contact is so minimal. The non-Pro headgear is cloth. I've not reacted to it except in the very hot of the summer. I sometimes use a little bit of unscented powder on my cheeks before bed and that seems to help some.