So genius, I HAD to share the idea!!

[Bweekzzz]

A fellow nurse friend of mine came up with such a genius idea, that there is no way I'm not going to share it because it really is a genius idea.  I'm just mad I didn't come up with it.  LOL  It's mainly a great idea for men, but I suppose some women may be able to utilize it also.  
                           Anyway, as she was relieving me from a usual long 7p-7a shift, I mentioned to her the red marks on my chin area, and a little around my mouth sides and upper lip area from my CPAP mask, and if she had any ideas on what to do about it.  Now the redness isn't from the mask being too tight or anything, it's from my whiskers and the mask rubbing the area.  Kind of like road rash or just irritation.  Now I know some are gonna say, "How about a mask liner?"  Been there, done that, and I haven't found one that's soft enough and not itchy when it's rubbing my whiskers.  Right away, as if she knew all about CPAP masks, she say's Tegaderm (or can also be know as OpSite.)  For those that may not know, it's the clear, very thin plastic that some of you may know is used to cover an IV site.  Slightly sticky on one side, but can be removed very easy when you wake up.  She happened to have a couple with her and gave them to me to see if they would work, and work they did (although too small to cover the whole area around my mouth).  The itchiness from the mask while I was sleeping was gone, so I slept better, and better yet no red marks from the whiskers irritation.  There were red marks from the pressure from the mask, but those went away within minutes.  The Tegaderm or OpSite can be bought on Amazon in rolls of 4 inches by 10 yards for around 20 bucks, and can be cut to whatever size you need, or they're also sold in different sized individual pieces.  So how big is your mouth is the question.  LOL
                            Anyway, I sincerely hope this idea can help some that are having the same whiskers problem as me, and are looking for a solution to it.  I'm still fine tuning how to best get the right size so, I'll let you guys know if I figure out a foolproof, easy way to do it, and if anybody has any input please put it out there.  Hope everyone is getting nice dreamy sleep.

                                                                                Brian

[sheepless]

do you think it would work to mouth tape over beard & mustache?

[Bweekzzz]

Haven't looked into mouth tape, but just priced them on Amazon, and from what I see the Tegaderm would be the much cheaper way to go from what I see.   You could be well into a month and a half from it for 20 bucks.  From what I see so far is the mouth tape is usually sold in small pieces for about the same price, and  cover just the area where your lips are.  That means using more pieces to cover around the mouth and chin area, which means mo money.  Don't know how "stiff' the tape is either.  The tegaderm is very flexible.

[chill]

What is the surface that is not sticky like?  My skin is very, uh, greasy.  I wash my face before bed, but in the middle of the night the mask is starting to slide around.  I am wondering if this, applied on dry skin, would avoid that.  Would a silicone mask slide on it at all?

[Bweekzzz]

Good morning chill.  Last night was my full, full nights test run of the idea.  The "outside" surface that would be touching the mask is not slippery at all.  I wouldn't described it as sticky or tacky, but my mask (I use the Dreamwear "hybrid" full face mask)  did not slip around at all, and better yet, no red marks around my mouth.  I thought about your question, and came up with a possible idea for the greasiness, that would also help the Tegaderm stick better to your face.  We, as nurses, use a small alcohol wipe, but this isn't alcohol.  It's called Skin Prep, and as it dries, it becomes a little "sticky".  We use it to help things, like colostomy flanges, and Tegaderm for IV sites to stick to the skin a little bit better.  You can buy a box of 50 on Amazon for 8 bucks.  You'd only need one wipe each night also.  Just wipe it on and allow it to dry for a minute or two and it becomes sticky/tacky.  Don't know how greasy your skin becomes, and the Tegaderm won't stick well if it gets TOO wet, but the skin prep is an idea to help it stay.  It also creates kind of a barrier between the skin and whatever your sticking to it, so it also "protects' the skin.  It's worth a try for only 8 bucks.  Hope this helps out.  

                                                               Brian

[chill]

Thank you, Brian.  I am going to try this.

[Bweekzzz]

No problem chill.  That’s what we’re all here for.  This journey with PAP therapy ain’t always an easy one, so any LITTLE bit of help we can give each other can be a GREAT help, and this board is definitely the place to do it.  I hope it works as well for you as it is for me.  Make sure to let me know also.  Sleep well.

                      Brian

[chill]

The product that you recommended was outrageous on Amazon in Canada, as many things are.  I bought a similar(?) product called Skin Tac for about twice the price you mentioned.  Tacky it certainly is!  I almost glued an eye shut.  And the solvent makes my eyes tear something wild.  But it is tacky, did I mention that?  The first half of the night was good, but then it started to wear off and by five hours or so, I was back to wiping off my face.  I am not sure if Tegaderm is worth trying or if my face is just too greasy.