Face Breaking Out From Activa

[Sleeping With The Enemy]

Has anyone had any problems with their face breaking out from a mask?

I have the Activa and my forehead has broken out something terrible ever since I started wearing the thing.

I went in to Urgent Care this morning for a migrane shot and the MD even asked me about my forehead.

Any help or suggestions? I have not looked like this since I was 13!

I wash the mask, I wash my face, am a very clean person

[WillSucceed]

What are you washing with?

Try getting a really good quality anti-bacterial soap, perhaps one of the soaps that is for washing an acne-prone face. I found that the cleaner the skin and mask, the less the breakout.

[Newsgrouper]

I lightly wipe my forehead, and the other areas of the face that the Active will contact, with an alcohol pad . No problems so far other than a little redness to the bridge of my nose.

[Sleeping With The Enemy]

Unfortunately I have tried those suggestions, I guess the dermatologist is the next step for me.

I must be one of those who can't tolerate anything on my face for an extended period of time.

[BuffaloAl]

I used a mask for about 6 months, a mirage dreamseal. I also seem to be highly allergic or sensitive to the plastic they use, as I was always getting rashes, breakouts and sores where the mask touched around and under my nose. I would clean the mask with anti-bac soap, the liquid kind but it didin't matter. My RT suggested covering all the edges of the mask with moleskin. That helped but was impossible to clean so I eventually went to nasal pillows. They still irritate the inside of my nose, but at least it's not visible.

[Maskedmechanic]

This is taken from cpap.com Mask FAQ. ...Have you had any experiences with either cpap masks or pillows made from standard materials, like latex, causing an allergic reaction to the face or nose skin?

Latex is rarely used to make CPAP items because many people are either allergic to latex or develop an allergy to it after constant exposure. All of the top masks, Respironics Gel and Comfort Classic, Resmed Ultra Mirage and Mirage, the Fisher & Paykel Acclaim, as well as nasal pillows are all made of the silicone rubber.

The problem is that silicone rubber has some components that a few people out of a hundred are allergic to.

We have found that patients sensitive to these chemicals can use CPAP but must do one or both of the following.

1. A weeks washing of the mask will much reduce or eliminate its ability to cause a reaction. Over time the chemicals that are causing the reactions degrade and disperse, usually in a gaseous form. This process can be accelerated by long soaks in warm soapy water. This is true with all mask, nasal pillow and headgears. Some patients will need to soak these items even longer. This process works!

2. There are some cloth only headgears available for nasal pillows. These are often called into service for the most difficult cases. The metal and hard plastic Breeze system can also be used to good effect in this application.

3. New items should be bought before they are needed and soaked as above. Unlike normal CPAP masks, for people with rubber related allergies, the older the equipment, the better.

[HoseNose]

Washing and soaking might work but until it does might I suggest you put a piece of tape over the forehead pad. You can find sports tape at just about any drugstore, about $3 for 10 yards. It's a cotton tape so you shouldn't have any reactions to it, and it works for all other kind of stuff too. Kinda like the duct tape of the medicine cabinet.