pillow masks and sores?

I was just wondering, Is it common for users of Pillow type masks to get sores inside or out of nose?

The inside edge of my nose was sore for about a week. I used Lansinoh and quit after about a week. It's not only pillows that caused problems because my nasal mask also caused irritated skin until my face got used to it.

When I first started using pillows I did get some sores, but as OkyDoky said some Lansinoh and no problems. They take some getting used to just like any other mask. I love my P10 so far though. I am sure people with more knowledge than me will be by soon *cough* Pugsy *cough* to help.

No mask should ever cause bruising, broken skin, abrasions, blisters or open sores.
This includes all masks from pillows, to cushions to full face masks.

Now minor tenderness for nasal pillows is common because the nostrils haven't really ever had anything next to them...but minor tenderness only.
Anything else and something is wrong with fitting or size.

The most common culprit for nasal pillow irritation that goes beyond minor tenderness...straps too tight and to a lesser degree size of nasal pillow.

So if you are talking about open sore or wound, raw skin or abrasion....no not normal.
If you are talking about minor tenderness that sort of feels like a bruise....that's fairly common.

Pugsy wrote:No mask should ever cause bruising, broken skin, abrasions, blisters or open sores.
This includes all masks from pillows, to cushions to full face masks.

Now minor tenderness for nasal pillows is common because the nostrils haven't really ever had anything next to them...but minor tenderness only.
Anything else and something is wrong with fitting or size.

The most common culprit for nasal pillow irritation that goes beyond minor tenderness...straps too tight and to a lesser degree size of nasal pillow.

So if you are talking about open sore or wound, raw skin or abrasion....no not normal.
If you are talking about minor tenderness that sort of feels like a bruise....that's fairly common.

There it is. The knowledge I was speaking of lol.

My nose is sore this morning. Second night with a P10. More on the left side versus the right side. No open sores or abrasions but just an overall soreness that will go away. I have an ultra sensitive nose due to surgery in the area, but I am actually surprised at how little it does hurt.

I have used nasal pillow mask of some flavor for well over 6 years now so my nostrils don't get sore ...usually.
Now when I first started using the P10 I experienced a bit of "tenderness...like a bruised being touched" feeling or like I used to say..."my nose felt like it had run into someone's fist".
The headgear was a little too tight and it pulled on the nostrils just a little too much.
This soreness went away after night number 3 as the headgear got stretched out a little.

I am not surprised that men seem to complain of this nostril tenderness with the P10 because in general the male head is larger and the one size sort of fits all regular headgear can be on the tight side for those with larger heads.
There is a way of separating the 2 head straps to loosen the fit (see the bottom of the box for how to) but even at the greatest loosening it can be a little snug for some people. This headgear will stretch out a bit and the snugness will become less of an issue.

There are/were a few people who simply couldn't use the P10 because their heads were just larger than the straps could stretch and it was too uncomfortable. If that should happen to someone and they love the mask otherwise...it's easy to make a few cuts in the strap and add a little elastic extension if someone wanted to do that.

Minor tenderness..that's one thing but raw open sores or blisters means something is really wrong with the fit and is unacceptable.

Thanks for the replies


....."in general the male head is larger" - I've seen my share of large headed ladies