Wearing a face mask is bloody awful!

[shellydolls]

Wore one yesterday in the shop for the first time.

I felt like I was suffocating myself!
I felt dizzy!
I couldn't concentrate on my shopping as I felt so uncomfortable and my glasses kept fogging up!

Please can someone recommend a very breathable mask as I won't be out shopping again until I can breath properly.

Depends on the cloth. I have been making my own since day one of cases in the UK and tried different fabrics. High thread thick flannel is a big no, three layers of thinner cotton is fine. I have found that one layer of jersey and two layers of thin cotton like the one used in bed sheets is very breathable.

I really don't get people moaning and complaining about wearing a thin fabric mask and yet in the winter you all walk around with your thick winter scarfs wrapped around your face like you heading out to the Arctic.

If you really hate wearing a thin mask so much then shop online and save the rest of us from you.

Found the shaped pointy ones very uncomfortable as the extra material kept flattening against my nose as I breathed in and eSr loops were a nightmare.
The pleated cloth ones suit my face better.
I now make them, putting elastic round the back of my head.
Perhaps try a few different styles? Nose wires are good for glasses wearers.

I don't think anyone likes wearing one , I have to wear one at work and I'm still not used to it .
I've tried a few different ones and none I like much . I've just ordered a face shield so I'll see how I get on with that .
Tbh I'm just hopeful it's not too long but I'll do it rather than lockdown.

@GreyGardens88

*The ones with a valve don't actually protect anyone else from you though, which is the point of wearing a mask. You're still breathing all your germs out.

*@shellydolls either a surgical mask or a plain cotton fabric mask will be fine and won't effect your breathing or oxygen levels at all

This is rubbish, I have a valve mask and the valve is still covered with fabric at the back which is thicker than the paper surgical masks. It's much better than a flimsy paper one

But not all (probably most) valved masks have this. And those that do presumably won't feel as 'breathable' which is what the OP was asking.

I’ve found the disposable type with a wire over your nose are the best ones

I’m massively claustrophobic and anything over my face makes me panic, feel like I can’t breathe, feel dizzy, etc but feel ok in the disposable ones and the wire stops my glasses misting up

I did have some fabric ones that my Mum made me but I just couldn’t cope.

I’ve got a 3 hour hair appointment today and coming straight home to guests so hoping they’re not enforcing masks for customers as per the new rules

I had a hair appointment yesterday and didn’t have to wear a mask other than when at the sinks. My hairdresser was wearing a mask and visor and I was the only one in the salon at the time

A necessary evil.

@ShouldEyeShouldntEye yes as pp have said, unfortunately the masks with vents are useless, so they don’t protect anyone. Google and there are lots of articles about it.

I am strugglung with the steaming up. Im happy to wear one and im not 'moaning' but i am appreciative of tips to prevent the steaming up. The soapy water and metal strip havent worked.
I will try surgicsl tape next.

It was a bit silly to try it in a shop for the first time rather than practising for short periods at home to get used to it.

I live abroad where mask wearing has been compulsory in shops etc since lockdown lifted a bit. It’s now very hot here (34 degrees and 70% humidity outside today) and this is how we as a family have been doing it:

Cloth cotton masks tend to be more breathable then those made from synthetic fibres - cotton leads to less ‘sweaty face’ feelings.

lol for those with the metal grippy bit at the top, and for close to your nose. It helps stop the glasses / sunglasses from steaming up (but not all the time). Frankly if you can wear contact lenses I’d recommend that.

Try to make sure the elastic round your ears isn’t too tight - I had one that ended up like cheese wire Halfway around the supermarket! It’s much more comfortable with a little
More room.

As for feeling panicked when wearing one - I totally get this. My first trip
To the supermarket after they became compulsory was a horrid experience. It was a combination of the strange feeling of rhe mask, air con being switched off and seeing everyone else all masked up. Add in communication difficulties with peoples muffled voices and it down make you feel more scared.

It’s been about three months now - there’s no online shopping here to speak of, so if o want to buy something I have to go to the shops.
Honestly the more you wear a mask the more you get used to it. No it’s never going to be totally fine, but those horrible feelings will pass and it will feel acceptable, I promise. And it does make a big difference in transmission. In my area we had really low case numbers and people have relaxed social distancing and now this week our numbers are rising again and with unknown sources of transmission (not just contact tracing). I fear masks etc will be with us for a while so we must learn to adapt.

I understand it's not comfortable and some people do feel claustrophobic. However if you do not have a medical reason, woman up! How many hours are you in a shop each day anyway? My son works retail and has one on all day. It's a silky fabric which may help.
Try wearing a mask at home for an hour a day which will help you get used to it.

They definitely get better the more you wear them and for me anyway, part of it is psychological. I've been used to wearing for long periods of time at work for many years, but could take them off when not in an operating theatre. Once we started having to wear them all the time it suddenly felt really weird and uncomfortable to be walking down a corridor with one on and I'd take it off the second I could. Also felt weird in shops. As time has gone on I find that I really barely notice it and actually forget to take it off when I can.

As others have said, try wearing one around the house for increasing lengths of time. Personally, I find it a small price to pay if it helps life return to semi-normality more quickly.

Really hate the NHS wear them for 12 hours get on with it little meme. About as much as the mask and ventilator one. Sorry.

You do get used to it. At first, I wore a child-sized disposable mask. Some of the masks are quite big for female faces and I found it a bit 'panicky'. But after a while it was fine.

Surely this makes sense.

@Turnedouttoes

I hate them as well. I had lots of chores to do yesterday and I was so sweaty with having to keep putting the mask on to go into each shop. It’s also such a pain with make up. I’ve got a 3 hour hair appointment today and coming straight home to guests so hoping they’re not enforcing masks for customers as per the new rules

I am a hairdresser. If i can be on my feet all day working on clients’ hair in a mask and visor, then i damn well expect them to be able to wear a mask for the duration of their appointment.

@Jeremyironsnothing

Surely this makes sense.

Yes it does make sense but WTAF does men peeing in public have to do with the dislike of wearing a face mask?

I have bought a vented mask as I have asthma (have inhaler and shit breathing) now I'm not so sure, what mask are other asmatics wearing

@mimicracra - I’ve ordered some of the petit lulu ones to try.

Another glasses wearer here with steaming issues. My glasses don’t have nose posts which I’ve found makes it even worse as they are more likely to fall off as I’m bending over to grab something from a. Shelf. I’ve found that ones with ties are better As I can do it tightly over my glasses arms. The ones that are shaped rather than folded seem better as with these I feel like I am being suffocated - when I breathe in, it’s like I am inhaling the fabric!

I’m also hearing impaired so I feel very claustrophobic and uncomfortable but as people have said, it’s a small ask relatively to keep each other safe.

I have tried the actual medical grade ones That we had at work which were fine- the Knock off Disposable copies are no where near as comfortable.

I am so grateful to all the NHS staff who have seen and experienced so much since March.

I am quite enjoying wearing a mask. I have a big nose but I’m a dab hand with eyeliner so it shows off my best features and obscures the worst .

Kossete masks from Korea. Perfectly comfortable and breathable. Quick google will bring up the UK supplier.

Sorry, Kosette (the nano one) 😊

Don’t be so dramatic. And if your glasses are steaming up, you’re not wearing your mask properly.

£8 or £20 each. Pricey.