The elderly have thin skin

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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Josiah
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The elderly have thin skin

Post by Josiah » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:18 pm

I will be taking my maiden voyage on the good ship CPAP tomorrow night and one thing I worry about is that as a very elderly person, my skin is thinner and more fragile than the skin of younger people. I worry that I may develop sores from mask pressure. I will be getting a full face mask but I won't know what I'll end up with until tomorrow. I'm soliciting suggestions about skin care and ways to avoid getting sores.
Josiah

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JimW159
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by JimW159 » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:38 pm

This has some reasonably useful information as well as some not-so-useful self-serving information. https://blog.easybreathe.com/5-ways-red ... on-issues/
Among the most questionable is the issue dealing with So-Clean - I have never seen anything that demonstrates a consensus of positive information regarding it. For the most part "sales speak" is what I hear most.
One additional caveat I would suggest is that one check carefully the ingredient list for anything one puts on the face before sleeping with CPAP. If it contains petroleum derivatives (such as Vaseline) it is a NO-NO. This is one time where hygiene really matters - it is far better to have a clean well-moisturized face than one coated with grease.

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Goofproof
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Goofproof » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:51 pm

Pad-A-Cheek mask liners, Respironics Comfort Gel FF Mask. Maybe a little Vit 'A' and "D", to toughen up the skin if needed. Puritans Pride #4301. Shouldn't be a problem, despite the skin old men are tough, and smart.

If top of nose wears, Band-Aid, over time it will toughen up. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Julie
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Julie » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:07 pm

Ditto to what Jim (Goof P) said.

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Wulfman...
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Wulfman... » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:44 pm

Josiah wrote:I will be taking my maiden voyage on the good ship CPAP tomorrow night and one thing I worry about is that as a very elderly person, my skin is thinner and more fragile than the skin of younger people. I worry that I may develop sores from mask pressure. I will be getting a full face mask but I won't know what I'll end up with until tomorrow. I'm soliciting suggestions about skin care and ways to avoid getting sores.
No mask should "hurt" you or give you sores of any kind. (regardless of how thin or thick you skin may be)
If it does, it's either the wrong size, the wrong adjustments or the wrong mask.
All things being equal.......a full face mask should "float" on your face.
The only things I've ever added to my masks is some homemade (fleece) strap covers for the bottom straps of the headgear.

Any idea of which mask you're going to get? You should have some input on the selection of this item. Do your homework and select the right one. Also make sure they offer free mask replacements until you DO get the right one.


Den

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Okie bipap
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Okie bipap » Wed Jan 03, 2018 10:04 pm

I would suggest a mask liner. You can make your own out of an old, well-used tee shirt. If you want to make your own, you will find a pattern for making them at this web site:
http://montfordhouse.com/cpap/diy-cotton-mask-liner.pdf

This will work for a small or medium size cpap mask. It can be enlarged for a large mask. I used this pattern when I first started, but I don't use a liner now.

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Cpapian
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Cpapian » Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:04 am

I had some initial soreness. I put some medical tape across the spot with a little gauze under it to provide cushioning. I use a nasal mask, it was sore at the very top. I think the hose was the problem. Once I flipped the hose over the headboard, it wasn't so heavy.

I also recommend home made mask liners.

But wait and see what your experience will be.

My DME advised to watch tv with the mask on, before going to bed. While I have no idea if it helped me, but I slept 10 hrs the first night.

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Diamondminek
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Diamondminek » Thu Jan 04, 2018 6:33 am

Generally for good skin In terms of the elderly and preventing pressure sores, a good diet, a very good fluid intake and a good moisturiser are important. Of you are very dry you may want something more heavy duty than the standard face creams and body lotions.
Specifically for cpap, finding the right mask will help. Or a good mask with the appropriate mask liners or strap covers. Moisturizing too close to bed may affect mask seal and as mentioned, no petroleum.

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Josiah
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Josiah » Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:53 am

Thank you for all the practical suggestions. I'm paying attention and will certainly comply. This morning I shaved off my 40 year old totally undistinguished beard to remove one possible problem source. I have a list of full face masks that have received good press on the forum lately, but I also understand that the shape and size of my face may play a role in which mask seems to work best. I'm hoping for a talented CME fitting technician.
Josiah

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Okie bipap
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Okie bipap » Thu Jan 04, 2018 8:24 am

I understand about the beard. I had mine for 31 years when I shaved it the day of my third sleep study and have been clean shaven since then. It took a few days to get used to it.

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Woody
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Woody » Thu Jan 04, 2018 9:25 am

I started using cpcp 10 years ago after being diagnosed with an Ahi of 81 . I think my
skin that was already showing signs of thinning got a little thicker after starting to
use my cpap.

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Goofproof
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Goofproof » Thu Jan 04, 2018 10:55 am

Woody wrote:I started using cpcp 10 years ago after being diagnosed with an Ahi of 81 . I think my
skin that was already showing signs of thinning got a little thicker after starting to
use my cpap.
Many here suffer from thin skin, and I don't mean the epidermis. Studies show it's caused by the Liberal Regressive Gene, so far np cure has been found.
Jim
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"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Sheriff Buford
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Sheriff Buford » Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:05 am

Put a small band aid at the top of your nose... right where the top of the mask sits. You'll know the next day, if you need it or not.

I'm growing my beard. I'm at the winno stage. That's the stage where the wife says I could lie in a ditch with one of HER (did I say hers??) bottles of wine and fit in as a perfect winno. If I can just get past this stage...she'll lose the comments!

Sheriff

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Goofproof
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by Goofproof » Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:12 am

Sheriff Buford wrote:Put a small band aid at the top of your nose... right where the top of the mask sits. You'll know the next day, if you need it or not.

I'm growing my beard. I'm at the winno stage. That's the stage where the wife says I could lie in a ditch with one of HER (did I say hers??) bottles of wine and fit in as a perfect winno. If I can just get past this stage...she'll lose the comments!

Sheriff
While NO winno is perfect, It's good to have a backup plan. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: The elderly have thin skin

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Jan 04, 2018 11:45 am

Josiah wrote:This morning I shaved off my 40 year old totally undistinguished beard to remove one possible problem source.
Oh, no.

Plenty of men use CPAP with a full beard. Are you not concerned that daily shaving will cause more skin problems than a CPAP mask?

Just one tip, most newbies overtighten the mask. Don't do it. Find the manufacturer's videos on youtube for mask adjustment directions.