Need advice for reddened skin under mask

Hi Folks,
I switched from a nasal mask to a full face because either my upper front teeth were moving in or my lower front teeth were moving out, or both.

Now, at where the bottom corners of the mask touch my skin on both sides of my mouth, my skin has become irritated. The red marks no longer go away. I tried Hydrocortisone Cream with 1% aloe but it didn't work at all. I'm going to call my dermatoligist but I thought I'd ask the Forum members first.

Any suggestions?

Ed

FoxNewsFan,

I have had similar problems. Others may give you contrasting advice, but this works for me. I've been using 'CeraVe' hydrating cleanser. They also make a lotion which probably good too, but don't confuse them. I got it at CVS. It was recommended by my dermatologist. It doesn't dry out your skin, but doesn't leave it feeling oily either. It just feels clean and normal. I wash my face after the brush-and-floss stuff and just before I put on the mask. I also wash off the mask pillow with Ivory unscented uncolored non-antibacterial pump soap. Okay, well sometimes I skip that. I also use cotton flannel pad-a-cheek-style sleeves over the neoprene bits of the headgear straps that touch my face and wash those pretty often. I made enough sleeves to replace them like underwear. They just go in with the regular clothes washing. It's better than going through the day with mask-induced acne rash all over the face.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, Dreamdiver. I picked it up at CVS and put it on already. Our stories don't match perfectly but I hope it will work anyway. My nasal mask never caused me any problems but when I switched to a FF I got rainout and since I usually lay on one side, the liquid collected in the corner of the mask and it stayed wet there all night and caused an irritation. I've solved the rainout but once the irritation got started it slowly got worse and now it's on the other side also.

Ed

Hi I paged through my 'Patient Manual - (GoodKnight machine)' and this is what I read re: REDNESS OF THE SKIN.....
Probable Cause= The harness is too tight or too small.....Allergic reaction to the components of the mask.....
SUGGESTION : Adjust the harness. Contact the attending physician or the service provider to try on masks of different sizes.....Stop using the mask.
I hope you solve the problem quickly. Regards - Marietjie

HI marie,
It looks as if DreamDiver's suggestion is working already. It also seemed to make my mask fit better and stop the leaks. I'll know better if it does this for a few more nights.

Thanks for the comeback.

Ed