Newbee Here Has A Girl Question

[adree1972]

Hello There, I am new here. I have been using the Cpap for about 6months now. It's been good. No problems except the fact that the mask leaves me with a kind of red rash like on my face because where the mask is placed. Do any of you ladies out there get that too and if so, are you able to cover it with make up? If anyone can let me know I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Adree

[oscar98]

Are you having an actual rash (reaction to the mask) or are you getting red lines and marks from the the mask or headgear pressing on your face?

If you have a rash, I can't be of much help but I'm sure someone will come along who can help out.

If it's red marks try searching the forum for padacheeks. There are lots and lots of posts around here on helping to eliminate of reduce the marks that masks can leave behind.

What mask are you using???

[jules]

which mask? if it isn't a nasal pillow one, read recent threads about remzzzs as they are little cloth liners you put between the mask and your face. You can make your own out of old tshirts, underwear, flannel pj pants - just use 100 % cotton. You can buy commercial liners too but most of us have old clothes we can donate to the project - one shirt will make a couple dozen depending on the mask and that couple dozen will last a few months. I make 18 for a nasal mask one night out of half of a pj pants leg.

And the red in my face isn't there when I use the liner. It takes a few days to go away from when I don't use it, but people do notice it.

[LinkC]

I'm a manly-man and I don't wear makeup (outside of the bedroom...but that's another story... ).

I get significant strap marks from my Hybrid, but thay are usually gone by the time I finish shaving in the morning. That's probably not much help to you, but it works for me. A little hot water, rub your face a bit, and Bob's-your-uncle.

[ccm]

I was just getting to post almost the same question. I'm wearing the Easylife Nasal Mask and did not have an immediate reaction but now after about 6 weeks I have small red bumps- like the beginning of a zit but without the "head" in on my cheeks & the bridge of my nose. I saw the mask liner on the padacheek website - has anyone used it and would you recommend it?

[pdean44]

It sounds like you are reacting to the material of the mask or straps on your face. Anything that you could put between the mask and your face should help. I do not have this issue but would assume the padacheek option is worth trying . they seem affordable. Hopefully made from non allergenic materials

[nanwilson]

Morning
The red mark I had was more like a burn mark on my face from my ffm. I used some cotton and made a remzzz ( as shown on this forum) and voila no more burn mark.

[Brobbi]

Hello There, I am new here. I have been using the Cpap for about 6months now. It's been good. No problems except the fact that the mask leaves me with a kind of red rash like on my face because where the mask is placed. Do any of you ladies out there get that too and if so, are you able to cover it with make up? If anyone can let me know I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks,
Adree

I don't get an immediate reaction but after time I do get a couple zits where the mask sits on my face. And once that clears up, I'm good to go. That only has happened about 3 times since February. Its totally annoying but I guess that's just part of it. And yes, I do cover up with makeup.

[montana]

Make sure you SOAK your mask in warm water and a soap like Purell for at least 1 hour and RINSE WELL..to 'season' mask. I still soak mine once a month.

[Paul56]

After being on the hose for at least 2 years now I developed a redness on both sides of my nose
where the mask sits.

My Doc tells me it is likely an allergic reaction that has developed and provided me with a
prescription for Hydrocortisone Acetate cream to apply 2x daily.

I used to wipe the mask daily with the Citrus II Cpap Mask Wipes. I have stopped doing that
and just wipe the face cushion with a tissue to remove most of the oil and wash it every
few days. Why not wash every day? It seems to seal better for me in an unwashed state.

The Doc also mentioned I should speak with my DME who is VitalAire... who have been
useless except to see me items. I will still speak with them but not expecting anything.

The actions so far seem to be having an effect as the redness is reduced. I will likely
experiment with a cotton gasket between the face cushion and my face to see how that
works as well. My big concern about that is an increased leak rate... but we shall see
during the experimentation stage.

BTW, this isn't necessarily a "girl" question as everyone can have these issues.

[jnk]

The initial soaking of the mask can be very important if your skin is sensitive. After that, don't use anything to clean the mask seal that you would not use directly on your skin.

If you are a newbie to CPAP, remember that the newer masks are designed to be worn very loosely, counterintuitively so. That allows the mask to inflate fully to get a good seal without putting too much pressure on the face. Overtightening can be particularly counterproductive.