headgear straps rubbing bald spots

Hello! This is my first time on this site. I am a 60 year old woman and was using AirFit P10 for Her. The headgear straps are not adjustable, just stretchy. After a couple of years, I discovered a bald spot right where the top strap sits. The top strap has also created dents in my scalp which have taken a week or so to disappear.

I am considering switching to the Swift FX since both of its straps are adjustable. However, I am still concerned about both straps rubbing bald spots or stripes on my head.

Any ideas on how to prevent this? Would a wig liner cap help?

Currently, I am using the Circadience advance small mask - cloth. It takes several on/off trials each night to get it to seal the best it can. I find that my nose is breaking out, which it never did on the AirFit. Any ideas on this?

I look forward to tapping into the wisdom on this site! Thank you in advance for your help.

Joan

Yes, many women (and men) wear a cap or stocking, of sorts because of hair or strap issues. Do a search, or hopefully they will chime in on what type they use.

Sheriff

While it may seem the straps on the P 10 are not adjustable, they can be very adjustable. No reason they have to be in the exact same spot use after use. I learned to spread mine very far apart as they were a bit too tight worn "normally". I have the bottom strap way down on my neck, the top strap approaching my forehead. Even then I can vary the position slightly. Not getting any hair problems doing this, where I was with the Dreamwear for instance. Experiment with moving the straps around to get the right tension but not in the same spot all the time.

Yesterday’s sleep was my first night with a machine and a mask that is not ideally comfortable and only keeps a solid enough seal without outside help if I sleep on my back without moving: that’s a comedy expecting that

This morning’s sleep (started after 1 a.m.) I varied 2 variables from the start, increasing bottom pressure but most importantly for you, mask strategy.

The same principles I used should work for you, with some changes.

But first, let me tell you my solution, killing 2 birds with one buff: I found I couldn’t keep my jaw closed sufficiently even with a FFM (not listed as a type on this site) to avoid it being blown open, and I have a mitigating issue in that I had jaw surgery to realign my jaw/pull bottom forward ~=25 years ago, so it’s an effort to hold it closed passively, and this resulted in massive mask leaks and an open, dry mouth, even breathing through my nose.

This is where the buff comes in: I put the buff on around the air hose, put on the mask, then put the buff up under my chin to around the top of my head, looking like I got my face stuck in a tire, I’d expect It held my jaw sufficiently shut (not super clamped, still a little wiggle room) and also kept the adjustable straps from moving at all, even rolling from side to side and on my back: Sleepyhead shows I maintained a constant leak rate of 3.6 l/min once I got it adjusted, and I heard and felt zero perimeter leaks, only the exhaust vents had air coming out that I could feel.

Here’s the important part: I distributed force over a large area fairly evenly, leaving no marks of importance behind. My straps didn’t move at all (no real chance of rubbing off hair, not that I have enough for it to matter!) and by distributing pressure over such a large area, nothing is a significant pressure point: it was actually amazingly comfortable except for the times where my nose started itching!

In your case, if you’re really worried about concentrated spots putting divots in your head/hair, find something larger and either an air pillow or a shaped piece that exactly matches your head profile under your straps, put on the mask straps to fit, then use the buff as I did: better sleeping through applied physics.

Thank you all for your friendly responses and advice. The Swift FX did not work for me after all. I ordered a hat liner from a wonderful company, TLC, that makes comfortable items for women suffering through cancer treatments. I use the SleepWeaver Advance cloth mask with the cap under the straps. I think it will do the trick!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,
Joan Smith

Trekkie wrote: ↑

Mon Oct 22, 2018 7:21 pm

Thank you all for your friendly responses and advice. The Swift FX did not work for me after all. I ordered a hat liner from a wonderful company, TLC, that makes comfortable items for women suffering through cancer treatments. I use the SleepWeaver Advance cloth mask with the cap under the straps. I think it will do the trick!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,
Joan Smith

good job! please come back and let us know how this works for you. every now and then, a woman (and even some men) will come along with a similar complaint. it would be good to know of something that will work out!

I stick a terry cloth sock under the head gear at the back of my head and another between my forehead and the plastic headrest. If an adult sock is too large, try a kiddie sock.

Also, at one time (with a different mask) I discovered that using the headgear upside down from the way that you're "supposed to" was more comfortable.