Suggestions for smaller masks?

Hello all, Yep, I'm a newbie. I tried cpap exactly 10 years ago but never was able to find a mask that fit right so I gave up. Now, 10 years later, I'm aware of the brain damage and mood changes my apnea and lack of oxygen has caused . I wake up each morning feeling so much worse than the day before...I'm determined to get relieve but after 3 nights on a nasal pillow mask , I'm already frustrated. I feel MUCH worse with autopap than without. The headgear is not adjustable and it slips off my petite head , when the head straps slip off so do the nasal pillows . The Machine has a " mask seal check" which is a joke...it shows Good Seal and a happy face even when the air is shooting out all sides. I feel like I can't exhale so I adjusted the exhale relief from 1 to 3 but do not notice any difference when I attempt to exhale. Has anyone used the exhale feature on your machine with any noticeable improvement ?
I need suggestions from other petite women on masks . My face and head are small,my facial features are also small. I wear children's size eyewear and hats. I have severe nose blockage ( surgery made it worse) which makes it difficult to get air through my nose . I realize the nasal pillows probably won't work on my stuffy nose but I have a fragile nose bridge which can't tolerate any mask pressure so full face masks have not worked during my sleep studies. Any suggestions?

What are your pressure settings?
If using auto/apap mode...the minimum starting pressue?
Exactly which mask are you using? You mention a nasal pillow mask but your equipment shows a nasal cushion mask.
Yes...exhale relief does help but sometimes people are using a low starting pressure and the exhale relief doesn't kick in until the pressure goes higher and it normally won't go higher while awake.

Pressures are 4-20 auto starts with 4, doesn't ramp till Im asleep. My exact mask is Aitfit p10 for her

Thank you, that helps a lot.

Couple of things you can try to help with the problems exhale...first is it that you simply cannot exhale against the 4 cm pressure which is really quite low or are you feeling like you are suffocating and not getting enough air?
A lot of time people say problems exhaling but it's really the "not enough air" feeling that they are experiencing.

Try the next size larger nasal pillow...I know it sounds weird but often the next size still works for fit but the slightly larger openings allow more air movement so it's easier to move the air.
With the starting pressure of 4 cm EPR exhale relief never kicks in because the machine can't go lower than 4 and EPR needs to be able to drop to something for there to be a difference between inhale and exhale. So try maybe a starting pressure of 6 with EPR set to 3...then during exhale the machine will drop to 4 cm and I know it sounds weird but 6 inhale and 4 exhale is going to maybe seem easier than 4 all the time. The actual drop makes it feel like more natural breathing.
Try the above while awake and not under any pressure to get to sleep just to see if it is more comfortable for you.

Now about the P10 mask not being stable and maybe "too big" for you....did you get the "for Her" packaging or the regular packaging? The "for Her" packaging is pink/gray and the stretchy headgear is smaller than the regular.

In terms of maybe a different mask for smaller head if you are already using the "for Her" P10 then I would suggest looking at the ResMed Swift FX nasal pillow mask (it also comes in a for Her packaging) because the straps are more adjustable than the one size fits all P10. The nasal pillows are very similar but the headgear is more stable because it simply has more adjustability (top and back straps).

So what size nasal pillow are you using now? Did your equipment supplier include the other sizes available in the packaging?

Okay, I'm going to suggest the Swift FX nasal pillow mask. It isn't smaller than the P10, but the headgear is stable and adjustable. It is still a minimal impact nasal pillow mask, and has worked well for me for several years now. The P10 didn't work for me either...I'd set it up at night so that it was adjusted nicely, and it would re-adjust itself during the night. It generally didn't come off my head, but it did tighten up overnight and by morning was too tight for comfort.

Anyways, take a look at a fitting video for the ResMed Swift FX mask (you can find one on cpap.com or on youtube.com), and you'll see how it works. Much better for people that the P10 doesn't work for!