If the headgear is 6 months old, you're probably eligible to have it replaced under your insurance.purple wrote: In my opinion, some of the problem with pain, is because the straps have lost their elasticity. I guess for a pressure of 18, there may never have been much help with the elasticity of straps helping to hold the mask, and not have pain, mask marks.
If you're not yet due for a headgear replacement, you could try machine washing the headgear on gentle and then drying it on a very low or no heat drying cycle. That sometime helps revive an aging piece of headgear.