face itching under mask

[Scracther]

I've been trying for over three years to adjust to a cpap -- consistently stymied by itching under the mask. It is somewhat comforting to learn others have had the problem - but I so hoped there would be a magical solution in this thread. Both my brothers and other close relatives successfully use their devices and I need to badly. Q-tip might be helpful - I'll certainly give it a try. I've completely quit putting water in the humidifier as the moisture does exacerbate the problem.

[chunkyfrog]

This may sound odd; but drink more water; 8 cups a day for the average person.
Hydrated skin does not get irritated as easily, heals quicker, looks better.
Lotions and creams are useless--you have to ingest the water to get it into your cells. It's true.

[JamesW6175]

Ditto - I have the same type of itching, different spots under my FF mask. Will try the Q-Tips tonight to see if that helps.
My humidifier uses about 150 ml of distiller water a day, I refill it on a daily basis. I drink plenty of water daily, but limit the amount of water before going to bed, since I don't want to make multi trip to the bathroom all night long. I clean my mask with Baby wipes daily, and boil the silicone seals monthly with water and baking soda.

[OhHelpMe]

I am new at this but I did read a tip in the forum that seems to make sense. It said to take a clean, dry wash cloth and briskly rub your face before putting on the mask. This helps to remove dead skin scales and desensitize the nerve endings.

I never tried it, but you may want to think about it. Of course be careful of overdoing it because it could make the itch worse.

This may sound odd; but drink more water; 8 cups a day for the average person.

I would not have thought of that but I believe it is totally true. In a similar way, I wonder if eating a lot of salt tends one to more itching?

Thanks Chunkyfrog.

Giccig.

[archangle]

With me, it feels like invisible hairs inside the mask. So much so, that I reach in and try to find the hairs inside the mask and pull them out. My best guess is that the mask touching my face stimulates my nerves and my brain interprets the touch in the wrong place.

[chunkyfrog]

Who says the aliens have to be OUR size?
Maybe they are very tiny.

[herefishy]

I only have it when my dog is shedding.

[jencat824]

I have had this with the Simplicity & sometimes with my IQ, but have no itching with my nasal masks or with the SleepWeaver Elan. I always thought it was just a 'tickle' and if I'd stop thinking about it, that it would go away. Usually, I wound up touching/scratching & going back to sleep.

Jen