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Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:25 pm
by JoyD.
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Hi all

I'm thinking that with this creative crowd, surely SOMEONE has created their own chin strap that works well for them.

I know that Kiralynx has created her "St. Bernard Brandy Keg Chin Support". I thought it would be interesting to hear what others have "cooked up"

I've researched the ones available through DME's and online suppliers . . . I'd like to hear about homemade chin straps.

Thanks,
Joy

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Mon May 18, 2009 8:55 pm
by BleepingBeauty
I'll be interested to see what others have come up with, too. I fear the chinstrap I have is going to become unbearably hot as the weather gets warmer. If I don't find a better solution, I'll try those Chin-Up Strips (or Bev's suggestion for the homemade variety of them).

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 4:52 am
by DreamStalker
ACE bandage is about as simple and effective as it gets.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:50 am
by bearcatx16
A head sweatband works pretty good in addition it can be cut and used for strap covers.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:24 am
by Pad A Cheek
Well Joy,
I am working on a design for a chin strap. I have not been completely satisfied yet, but I am getting closer to a trial here for my PAD A CHEEK version of a chin strap.

I will be sure to post when it is ready for trials.

Karen

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 7:37 am
by TerryB
What I have used for years now is an elastic bandage for the knee or ankle found in the Wal-Mart bandage area which is about 3 feet long, maybe 4 inches wide and has a velcro closure. It is easily adjustable, and doesn't require any hardware which could poke.

I have recently switched to a pap-cap with chin strap also velcro attached.
We had one of those worm humid but too cool for the AC to kick on nights and I was sweaty.

Good luck with your search.
TerryB

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 8:42 am
by sagesteve
Found the PERFECT tension and fit...a women's head band found in the women's hair accessory section at Wal-Mart. You can try different sizes. Women wrap them around their pony tails, use them to keep the hair off their face as they apply make-up...(not a sweat band). Just the right amount of very mild tension. I don't even know it's on! Simple and VERY effective.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:13 am
by JoyD.
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Great ideas!

Keep 'em coming! I'm sure many cpapers will benefit from your innovative discoveries

Thanks
Joy

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 9:17 am
by raylo
sagesteve wrote:Found the PERFECT tension and fit...a women's head band found in the women's hair accessory section at Wal-Mart. You can try different sizes. Women wrap them around their pony tails, use them to keep the hair off their face as they apply make-up...(not a sweat band). Just the right amount of very mild tension. I don't even know it's on! Simple and VERY effective.
I have used these too, but have found that they have 2 issues. They lose elasticity fairly rapidly, and they slide off my chin too easily. They are pretty inexpensive though, so can be a quick, cheap, easy temp fix. I am now trying a light one made by the tiara folks one and am trying to enlist my fiance in making a chinstrap.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 10:55 am
by BlackSpinner
A pair of panty hose with control top - cut the waist band off and cut it again 3-5 inches below the waist. Thin and eaily replacable.
I tried it when I was first diagnosed in the hope that it would help during the wait for test, results, specialist appointments It kept my mouth shut but it made my apnea worse.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Tue May 19, 2009 6:44 pm
by JoyD.
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Last evening after I posted, I decided to dig out an old Ace Bandage from a few years back when I broke my ankle. I found it, got some velcro from my sewing basket and made my own "homemade chinstrap" for the first time. Turns out I had the best leak line ever: actually straight !!

(I always use chinstraps in addition to my taping with 2 horizontal strips of J&J Waterproof Tape (MUCH easier on the face than the M&M Cloth Surgical Tape that I recently ordered . . . ouch, never again!)

My homemade chinstrap:

* Used 2-inch Ace Bandage (the kind that comes with the metal closure, which were NOT used).
* I made a DOUBLE thickness of Bandage and held it taut from my chin to the top of my head until it was the tightness I wanted. Then I put a pin in it to show me where to sew. I sewed ACROSS the elastic a couple times on the machine to make it secure and permanent.
* Used DOUBLE SIDED velcro (rough on one side; felt-like on the other) - Wrapped it around the Bandage on one side (so the velcro would stick to itself), then took it around the back of my head and fastened the other side around the Bandage on that side. Note: the soft side is on the "outside" so it will not catch on bedding or "tights ties"; the slightly rough side is against the hair and does not catch on it if you have the right velcro (not the "fish hook" type). Note: I did this while on my head to get it to fit properly. Then I carefully removed it from my head, and "reinforce-sewed" the velcro where it wraps around the elastic (just a reinforced line - the width of the Bandage - zig-zagged a couple times on the machine).

I've actually made a pretty nifty chinstrap . . . it's in one piece and ready to go anytime. Holds my chin very securely and is comfortable to wear. The velcro band around the back of the head seems to make it the most secure chinstrap I've had (no slipping). I put it on after I tape, and before I put on my mask. Looks like I have no need of trying to find another chinstrap to buy!

Joy

PS - Guess someone could try the Ace Bandages that are from a different material that is "self sticking", and wrap that around the chin to top of head once or twice. (It doesn't "look" as soft a Bandage, it's a large weave; don't know how comfortable it would be on the face). Is that what you use, Dreamstalker?? Does it stay securely on without a strap going around the back of the head?

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 8:50 am
by Babette
The Ace Bandage from Walmart sounds very much like the Deluxe Chinstrap from https://www.cpap.com.

The beauty of the Deluxe is that it comes with two smaller straps, that you can position in front or in back, to keep the thing from slipping off your hair. I just use the back strap.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/deluxe ... hleak.html

Pix of how I attached my mask directly to it, eliminating the need for extra headgear:
http://s124.photobucket.com/albums/p36/ ... aise/CPAP/

It feels "tight" when I first put it on, but I quickly become accustomed to it, and find it very comfortable to sleep in.

I've been test-driving the new Ruby Adjustable Chinstrap, and it feels weird to me because it's so loose. I'll keep at it, but I think I've just become accustomed to my Deluxe and might have to go back to it.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/cardin ... strap.html

I didn't like the PAP CAP - I prefer elastic material around my chin to keep my jaw up and lips closed. Others feel differently.

So far, none of my bright ideas for home-made chinstraps have panned out. I wear headbands all day long at work, and they really don't work as well for me as the Deluxe Chinstrap. I tried making something out of t-shirt material and velcro, but it didn't work well, either.

Guess I'll stick to what works for me.
B.

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Wed May 20, 2009 10:44 pm
by JoyD.
Now I'm using a white terry headband from WalMart - that I found in the Women's Sports Department for $1.79. It's fairly wide, fits just right, and the terry keeps it from slipping easily. I put it under the chin, then DIAGONALLY on my head (not straight up to the top of my head, and not too low in the back or it will slip). It stayed there all night. Worked much better than the Respironics Sullivan Chinstrap for me. Interesting.

Honestly, it's the best I've tried so far (like it even better than the Ace Bandage thing I rigged up) Can't beat the price

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 1:16 pm
by BleepingBeauty
Some good suggestions in this thread, and I'm going to have to try some alternatives. Had my sleep study last night, wearing my Swift LT and my chinstrap, and the tech woke me 3 or 4 times, telling me my mouth was opening. I tightened my chinstrap the first time; second time, she put a Quattro on me, but we couldn't stop it from leaking; third time, we tried a chinstrap she had at the lab; nothing worked. Finally, I went back to my own chinstrap at about 4:00 a.m.

I'm due for a new chinstrap in a few weeks and will try something that's more substantial than the one I already have. Of course, unless/until I have a data-capable machine, I'll still have no evidence that it's doing the job, other than going by how I feel (which is what I've been dealing with for 18 months now, and it hasn't gotten me very far).

If I can't stop the mouth leaks, I guess I'll either have to adapt to a FFM (ptooey!) or add some tape to the nasal mask/chinstrap equation. I'm so tired of this whole hassle.

Something HAS to start working for me soon...

Re: Has anyone made a successful "Homemade" Chinstrap?

Posted: Thu May 21, 2009 2:40 pm
by sagesteve
I think Karen at PadACheek will come up with a good one!