Mask malfunction? Or fix

Newbie here. I’m about 6 weeks into my therapy. Currently using a ResMed airsence 11 auto set with Phillips amara full view mask 1090623 A7030. Now I’ve had my fair share of issues, to much presser, can’t get a good seal, taking mask off. For the most part things have been going well. Even though this the mask isn’t made for facial hair, as long as I trim weekly is does well with the seal. My biggest problem starting out was the buildup of pressure in the mask. Anything over 13 on my airsence would cause the mask to blow out or push so much air into my lungs it was hard to exhale. If it didn’t blow the seal, I would hit the power button and wait a sec and then turn it back on. All would be good sometimes. If I had to do it again within the same night, I would take it off and try an again the next night. This happened quite a bit in the beginning, but the last 2 weeks have been great. 6-8 hours of sleep every night, maybe 1 mask issue a night (according to the app).

So here’s where it gets interesting. The last 2 days of traveling have been completely different experience with my cpap machine and mask. My Cpap machine always starts at 4.0 when it starts, I feel the restriction in breathing at first but the machine does well in learning and adjusting within a min or 2. That has Not changed. Once it adjusts to me. It Felt great, equal pressure nose to mouth. That has changed a little. Now I don’t breathe through my mouth unless I have to, but sometimes I could open my mouth and get a great burst of air into my lungs. You could feel the air rushing on my face within the mask. When normal breathing I could feel it, just not as much. I noticed from day one with my mask the was air coming out of the square hole right above the the hose. As of Yesterday it’s no longer coming out the square holes, it coming out of a bunch of smaller holes in front of mask below the nose, above the mouth. The valve appears to be working. I can take some quick, short breaths and make it open and close. I still feel the air on my face when in breathe, just a lot less than before. But the machine no longer responds to me not breathing. If I hold my breath, the machine doesn’t care. It will just maintain 9.6 - 9.8 and don’t feel the pressure like I use to. Was my mask malfunctioning then or now? Was the air supposed to be coming from the small holes all along? Why would it change to small holes now? Due to sensitive skin it gets washed with soap and water every 2 days and cleaned with my skin solution every day and put into lumin lm3000 everyday.

Someone else will address the finer points here, but the expelled air (CO2) should always have come from the patch of small holes and that shouldn't be covered by anything heavier than a sheet or you'll rebreathe the CO2... and you don't want to do that.

Your mask is working exactly as it's supposed to.

The valves that open and close (Anti-asphyxiation valves) are there incase the machine stops working working or there is a power failure. The other vents are there to blow off CO2 so you don't re-breathe it.

The reason you are experiencing discomfort is because the initial pressure is too low, you are drawing more air than the 4cm can provide. Therefore you are uncomfortable, need to open your mouth and when you are deeply inhaling
you are drawing the AA valves open.

BTW the machine is not adjusting to you, you likely have Ramp on, starting at 4cm, it's slowing moving to a higher pressure which meets your needs.

Post some graphs, your settings and machine type, to learn how to set your pressures correctly.