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Strap marks on the face
#1
Gross 
Strap marks on the face
I know this is just a vanity question but I'm curious about this.
Even though I wear the lightest of masks, actually nasal pillow, I can see streaks on my face from the straps for a couple of hours after I wake up. Those early morning mirror encounters have definitely not become more pleasant since I've started to use CPAP. But the other day it was after noon and I could still detect the marks of the straps on my face! I'm wondering, as the months and years go by, will the marks become more permanent? Also, have you noticed getting more wrinkles from wearing the mask every night? Don't laugh now, this is serious stuff for some of us ladies!
Also, what do you guys do when you see another person with the telltale marks on their face? Do you go, "Hey man, how's your AHI lately?" or "Let me guess, ResMedMirage?" Bigwink jk
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#2
RE: Strap marks on the face
There is a cure - distribute the pressure. See Supplier List above. #31. Made by a fellow hose-head. Quality products that really work. My wife quickly tired of the Hannibal Lecter look at breakfast. I can't imagine why. Grin
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#3
RE: Strap marks on the face
Yes, definitely have developed what may be permanent marks on my face. Had strap marks every day and eventually noticed vague purple/red linear patches which are broken capillaries where the straps cross my cheekbones. I've crafted my own cheekpads to buffer the stresses, made with quilt batting between layers of thin fleece fabric, had both on hand from quilting and sewing projects. I tuck them under the straps and the pressure from the straps holds them in place through the night. Has eliminated the daytime strap marks so I'm hoping the capillary damage will stop but won't know if the pads are good for that until more nights go by and the patches across my cheeks either do or don't get worse. Hope they'll go away but I don't expect it. Do also notice more wrinkles but am sorta of the vintage where I'm gonna start seeing more anyway, so am not sure the CPAP gear is exacerbating wrinkles. Also expect I'm seeing more as a result of the weight loss I'm happily achieving as one of the things I'm doing to battle sleep apnea and associated atrial fibrillation. Sounds like I'm a mess but am a happy mess, I appreciate that there are things I can do to address the serious problems and appreciate every day given to me to keep on trying.
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#4
RE: Strap marks on the face
A girlfriend who started cpap started to get red marks on her face that were their all day. We switched her to a full face mask with a better strap. The marks went away after a couple of days. She is wearing a Armida View FFM and we have it adjusted well. She is much happier now.

Hope you fix this.

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#5
RE: Strap marks on the face
[commercial link removed, instead, search Supplier #1 for "Pad a check cpap mask cover" or go directly to Supplier #31]

I had marks until I started using mask strap pads, fixed problem immediately, and haven't had any since



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#6
RE: Strap marks on the face
The straps don't irritate my face, they're already soft, but better pressure distribution would definitely help. I could also train myself not to push my head into the pillow so much, but that's my favorite way to sleep. I wish they could redesign the ResMed Airfit straps to not sit so high up on the cheekbones. It inevitably pushes up the skin to form crow's feet and bags under the eyes. The bags are the worst! I otherwise like the ResMed Airfit but thinking about trying out a Sleepweaver Soft Cloth nasal mask. It has the main straps sitting much lower. Wondering what people's experiences are with that mask? I remember hearing it used to be hard to seal but apparently it is now "new and improved?" Perhaps this needs a separate post.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions!

Chill, I definitely don't want to go for the Hannibal Lecter look, lol. Also, "Walk-in-mask-closet...Buwhahahaa Big Grin
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#7
RE: Strap marks on the face
Due to strap marks w DreamWear, I tried SleepWeaver also, as well as Fisher & Paykel Oracle.

My idea was to seek a workable alternative to DreamWear on my own with the idea that once I'd found an alternative to DreamWear, I'd ask my doctor to send a new prescription to my DME and get my insurance coverage changed per the new mask. I suspected my search might become a trial and error of several styles and that this would complicate my health insurance coverage, paperwork, etc., and it would likely be better in the long run if I did the investigating on my own. So before I share the experience I had with SleepWeaver, be advised that though I carefully followed the sizing instructions, I still might not have ended up with the right size for me.

So, that being said ... SleepWeaver ... the straps are lower and didn't seem to push my face up towards my eyes as much as the DreamWear straps, but SleepWeaver straps did leave marks by themselves and also still left marks when I wore it with the fleece strap wraps I was given when my DME sent me home with the DreamWear my doctor's respiratory therapist recommended for me when I started CPAP in April. Cheek pads I made last week resolved the strap mark issue but gave me more trouble than usual in getting the SleepWeaver mask to stay sealed over my nose. When I tried out DreamWear w/the cheek pads, the strap mark problem was totally solved, so I went back to DreamWear. Re/SleepWeaver, it was a very comfortable mask for me but tempermental leak-wise. Found that I needed to set it carefully on my face from the outset, but, still, some nights it just leaked a lot and no re-setting or fiddling with tucking fabric here or there made any difference, and I would just give up and have a leaky night and poor sleep because the nose and air on my face would keep waking me up. Did notice, also, that it seemed to pull tightly across the underside of my nose, and I think if I were to use it for a long time it would eventually make a sore spot - again, though, I am not sure I bought the right size. Noticed, also, an annoying leaking of air out the top toward my eyes. Sometimes not enough to keep me awake, but my eyes would be irritated in the morning.

Re/the F&P, I sometimes have spring allergies depending on how rowdy the oaks and poplars want to be, and my 1st CPAP spring, this year, taught me I wanted to have a mouth-breathing alternative before cold & flu season comes around. It looked like the F&P Oracle could meet that need, so I bought that, too. It was a very comfortable mask to wear - came with an optional strap but I found I didn't need it, and that made me hopeful that perhaps it could be my regular mask and put an end to my strap mark problems, too. However, after I went to sleep the air made my mouth so dry that I woke in a little over an hour and had very sore spots in my mouth. My CPAP pressure is only 10, so it isn't like I have a real hurricane of air flow that I'm dealing with, either. Blistex and an oral rinse solution calmed all the sore spots over the next day, but it was plain that they'd have been worse and harder to heal if I'd worn the mask longer.
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#8
RE: Strap marks on the face
I stopped looking in the mirror in the morning.. so the marks don't worry me any more.

But the little tabs of blood stained toilet paper to stop the bleeding from all the shaving cuts is apparently noticeable to others, going by the stares I get on the way to work. Bag-head
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#9
RE: Strap marks on the face
Go electric man...

I have been awake now for 4 hours and I can still see marks from my chin strap. Oh well... I'm ugly enough as it is. I doubt anyone would notice or care (nor that I would care if they did notice). Dielaughing
Using FlashAir W-03 SD card in machine. You can download your data through wifi with FlashPAP or Sleep Master utilities.

I wanted to learn Binary so I enrolled in Binary 101. I seemed to have missed the first four courses. Big Grinnie

Stick it to the man, Download OSCAR and take back control of your data!

Thanks Ian. Like I didn't have enough Honey-Do projects to tackle. Mornincoffee
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#10
RE: Strap marks on the face
(12-12-2016, 10:03 AM)AlanE Wrote: Go electric man...

I have been awake now for 4 hours and I can still see marks from my chin strap. Oh well... I'm ugly enough as it is. I doubt anyone would notice or care (nor that I would care if they did notice). Dielaughing

What did you think? Wearing a muzzle at night is going to leave a mark!
Sleeprider
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