Headgear Angst

[WaltP]

I use a Swift Nasal Pillow and the headgear is terrible. Since my head is round and the back straps are just above my ears, the straps keep sliding to the top of my head and I have to keep pulling them back into place. Is there a headgear I can use as a replacement that includes a lower strap to keep them in place? I've looked at other pillows and they all seem to have the same headgear design - one strap above the ears. Is there a pillow mask I missed that actually has a stay in place headgear?

Thanks for any help.
Walt

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

You've just described what is probably the weak point in a lot of the nasal pillow mask headgear. They most all use a back strap of some sort and they call can tend to slide up the back of the head. For some people it's worse than for other people. Especially worse for the
Those people have tried various ways to keep that back strap in place from using their own hair like putting the back strap under a pony tail to adding velcro to that strap so that it sort of grabs the hair to help it stay in place.
I use the P10 and it has a back strap but I start out the night with it way down at the bottom of the skull.. There's a little bump at the base of the skull called the occipital protuberance and I put the back strap below that bump. It still sometime slides up the back of my head but not horribly often.
Most people put that strap farther down the back of the head than the pictures call for placement.

Some masks are just more stable than others and actually the Swift FX that you are using is one of the ones that is more stable.
But you may just have to try some of the others to see how stable and less likely to move the back strap is.

There is the TapPap nasal pillow mask that uses a mouth guard to anchor the pillows....no headgear involved at all.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/tap-pa ... k-improved
I actually used this mask for over a year until the P10 was released.

The Brevida is fairly stable and that lower back strap can be easily place way down the back of the skull
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fp-bre ... k-headgear

The Nuance is also fairly stable
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/nuance ... espironics

and the DreamWear gel pillows is fairly stable
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... k-fit-pack

All these masks come with a big YMMV sticker. You just have to try a mask yourself to get an idea if it will ever work for you or not.
I wear my hair short...very short on the back of my head so no pony tail available to help hold the back strap in place.
For years I have just started out the night with that back strap much further down on the back of my head than the pictures called for and for the most part this has worked well enough for me. I never had a big enough problem with any of the masks I have used over the years to warrant going the velcro route but a lot of people have used it.

[WaltP]

Thanks, Pugsy. I'll look into the other masks. I've tried putting the strap as low as I can, but to no avail. I still have to reposition it several times a night. I guess my head just moves more than most.

The TapPap looks like an interesting option. I'll have to look into that one.

[Janknitz]

You can try sewing some Velcro hook tape (the stiff side) into the back strap. It sounds uncomfortable but it's not. This can reduce sliding of the strap.

[chunkyfrog]

Velcro works fine unless you are follicularly challenged. (bald)
If necessary, it might be possible to make the inside of those straps grippy--
by attaching something rubbery and wrinkly, like a chunk out of a rubber-
-dipped gardening glove.

[WaltP]

Rhetorically, I guess what I would ultimately like to know why can't the manufacturers make headgear that is designed for a human head. Am I the only one that has a creeping strap problem? If not, don't they know it's a complaint? Over the nose masks seem to have a design that stays put.

[chunkyfrog]

We are expected to assume the masks are designed to fit real, live people.
This may not be the case. Picture mannequin heads, with molded "hair".
With any newly released mask design, expect to be a beta tester.
Too bad it's on YOUR dime.

[Pugsy]

Rhetorically, I guess what I would ultimately like to know why can't the manufacturers make headgear that is designed for a human head. Am I the only one that has a creeping strap problem? If not, don't they know it's a complaint? Over the nose masks seem to have a design that stays put.

Actually they will tell you that they do design these masks to fit the majority of people's heads.
For those outliers.....I don't know what they would tell them except maybe "try something else" .
I have the creeping thing problem on a rare occasion only and I learned a long time ago that to get headgear that won't ever move means I have to use a lot more straps than I want to use. There's always pros and cons to everything out there.
A lot of the nose masks have top and bottom straps that have no where to go....bigger and more of a footprint on the head.
For my own preferences...I gladly accept a little occasional strap adjustment when it creeps up to wearing a mask that has a lot more headgear involved plus puts pressure on my nasal bridge area which causes me to have congestion.
We have to decided where our priorities are with what our choices are and go from there.
We can complain all day about what the mask manufacturers "should" do but they will tell you that they put a lot of research into these designs and came up with someone that fits "most" people and that's who they will target.

I know it's not what you wanted to hear but it's just the way it is.

If none of the nasal pillow masks have a back strap to suit you...then the only choice is to maybe try one of those nasal masks that have more to the headgear so the headgear is less likely to move around.

Yeah, I know the choices aren't what you wanted but they are what you have available. It is what it is.
Most people don't have the problem to the extent you seem to be having the problem. If they did then these types of headgear wouldn't be the most widely sold masks. Supply and demand rules.

[palerider]

Rhetorically, I guess what I would ultimately like to know why can't the manufacturers make headgear that is designed for a human head. Am I the only one that has a creeping strap problem? If not, don't they know it's a complaint? Over the nose masks seem to have a design that stays put.

Because heads are shaped differently?

[zonker]

Rhetorically, I guess what I would ultimately like to know why can't the manufacturers make headgear that is designed for a human head. Am I the only one that has a creeping strap problem? If not, don't they know it's a complaint? Over the nose masks seem to have a design that stays put.

Because heads are shaped differently?

some even have horns!

[Gryphon]

You could always try getting a set of these...

https://www.amazon.com/Athl%C3%A9-Skinn ... 4517612011

cut one and hand sew it into your headgear in a position that you feel would fit you best. The headbands I linked have a soft silicon ribbon that runs through it that kind of makes it stick to skin and or hair so it doesn't fall off or move. The link is just one example - there many brands of head ribbon/wraps that are like these - some you can even buy at your local drug store or wally world.

It could work... I'm not very familer with the headgear designs of nose pillows etc... (I'm a full face mask users) but if adding an extra strap to your existing headgear would give you the perfect experiance - I'd try and get creative whith what you have rather then go down a whole new rabbit hole of trying to find a new interface hoping that it'll work better. I remember photos and discutions in the past of people resorting to all sorts of interesting methods to get headgear and masks to work better. In cluding wrapping panty hose around their heads. I think a head wrap would be more fashonable and easier to work with.

Of corse if you don't really like what you have now at all - then I'd go for it. Start searching for your new mask.

Good luck!

Rrestwell,

Gryphon

[palerider]

Rhetorically, I guess what I would ultimately like to know why can't the manufacturers make headgear that is designed for a human head. Am I the only one that has a creeping strap problem? If not, don't they know it's a complaint? Over the nose masks seem to have a design that stays put.

Because heads are shaped differently?

some even have horns!

Hey, don't knock it... keeps the headgear from slipping off!

[brina4794]

OK I am a hairstylist and this was quite the issue with me with the backstrap sliding. I have long hair My hair is in such good condition that back strap was not staying in place ! It would slide all the way up then the Nasal Dreamwear would move causing leakage. I finally found that wearing a doo rag/bandanna type thing on my head works. I have finally found an 18 inch long one at the Dollar Tree. I either put a high pony tail ( use Scrunci no damage) at the top of my head and have the pony stick out of the hole or wear my hear down and the bandanna covers all my hair. It works great ! Some times it does move but it sure is better than it was before. My Air Score has been 100 ! Hope I can help someone because this problem was driving me CRAZY.