'Lip' strap/Mask?

In another thread, someone pointed out how little pressure was required to keep the lips together and provided a dramatic demonstration my applying just a slight amount of pressure to the lower lip to keep the lips together. I bought a packet of elastic hair bands and placed one so that it went from back of head, just in front of ears and rested just below my lower lip. Band was too tight so I added in a section of velcro. This is what I refer to as a 'lip' strap.

Being faced with what appears to be a leak caused by my lips opening on exhalation, after the second night of using this strap with little improvement, I simply moved the strap up over my lips and exhaled thru my mouth. Unless I'm seeing what I want to see, my lips remained sealed and I may not have had any mouth leaks.

I don't want to claim this would work in place of tape, but with one night under my belt it does seem like a less intrusive/ less frightening alternative to taping.

Could someone else try this and see if you get the same results? - Mike

mhorowit wrote:In another thread, someone pointed out how little pressure was required to keep the lips together and provided a dramatic demonstration my applying just a slight amount of pressure to the lower lip to keep the lips together. I bought a packet of elastic hair bands and placed one so that it went from back of head, just in front of ears and rested just below my lower lip. Band was too tight so I added in a section of velcro. This is what I refer to as a 'lip' strap.

Being faced with what appears to be a leak caused by my lips opening on exhalation, after the second night of using this strap with little improvement, I simply moved the strap up over my lips and exhaled thru my mouth. Unless I'm seeing what I want to see, my lips remained sealed and I may not have had any mouth leaks.

I don't want to claim this would work in place of tape, but with one night under my belt it does seem like a less intrusive/ less frightening alternative to taping.

Could someone else try this and see if you get the same results? - Mike

That is similar to what I do. I run a sports headband (stretchy, terricloth, tennis/basketball type) from the crown of my head to the front of my chin just below the lip. Then I put my mask on overtop. The headband puts just enough pressure below my bottom lip to keep my lips shut. But I also use a mouthpiece (manibular advancement device) that keeps my mouth shut and jaw forward, so I am only using the headband to keep my lips closed. I found the headbands for $1.30 or so a piece at Walmart and loaded up. Some brands of headband are a little too small, so the velcro idea is a good one. The headbands I bought that were too small, I cut open to use as a makeshift hosecover and padding for my mask straps, since that's the kind of cheapskate I am.

jeff

I sure hope that no Wife's see this post. If they do we might be wearing one all the time. Then again it might be better for her to try it first to be sure it works.
Don

Additional discussion about fashioning a lipstrap is in mhorowit's other topic:

Chin Straps, lip straps and a collapsing tongue.
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