Advice for wearing a mask for 12 hours a day?

[irjgghkf]

I am starting a new job in the NHS soon which will require wearing a mask for 12 hour shifts and it has to be the blue disposable masks for hygiene reasons.

Obviously masks are pretty uncomfortable and irritating but needs must. I find that they are always too big for my face and slip up into my eyes. I also get painful cystic acne on my chin a few days after wearing a mask even if for only 20 minutes.

Obviously none of those complaints compare to the importance of wearing a mask so I will grin and bear it, but for those who are used to wearing masks for long periods of time over the last few months, do you have any advice or tips? e.g. any particular skincare you recommend?

I wear a silk mask underneath my surgical mask & it stopped spots flaring up. I wear them for long periods of time too, beauty industry.

You'll get used to it pretty quickly. Surgical ones are more comfortable than fabric ones and they fit better.

You'll forget you have it on. Until you try and have a drink/ chocolate!

It's easier to wear them when you just have to get on with it. It's harder when you're taking them on and off, and going in and out. Using a cleansing wipe when changing your mask can help with the spots, and making sure you probably cleanse your face at night, also not putting moisturiser on your lower face in the mornings. If they're too big, then crossing the elastic helps make them smaller or using an ear saver at the back of your head can make them fit better

You will get used to it! If you wear glasses then make sure you have a tight pinch on the nose, or if necessary put a bit of surgical tape across the bridge of the nose.

Twist the ear loops before hooking them over your ears or ear saver buttons - it makes the mask smaller and should stop it riding up into your eyes. It will also make it sit closer to your skin reducing acne rub.

You can get smaller/ children's size masks easily if you're only wearing surgical not ffp2. Your employer should provide you with appropriate masks really... I actually find ffp2 easy to wear for 12 hours but not surgical disposable masks, I can only guess its because the ffp2 sit a few cm away from your mouth.

You can make them fit closer by making a knot in the loops at the mask end (which is quite hard to describe in writing!) or as pp suggested just make a twist in the loop. Acnecide worked for my mask-acne, but you probably know your skin best & what works for you. Alcohol swabs are pretty good too. After a while you'll honestly start to feel a bit naked & indecent without a mask on!

Arnica on regularly - if your skin becomes broken, take the tablets.

Use a paperclip between the earloops to take the strain of your ear lobes.

It sounds crazy, but you'll soon forget you are even wearing it

I'm totally used to wearing mask and visor for 12 hours now. Only problem I have occasionally is glasses streaming up. Does feel quite hot and
towards the end of my shift my nose and chin gets quite itchy, but I don't think there's anything I can do about that.

I wear mine for similar amounts of time on shifts and you do forget you are wearing them.

I do find I drink less when I am wearing them than I usually, which causes me headaches. We are not allowed to drink if there is anyone else in the room as we cannot remove the mask if anyone else is around, so its more logistical than anything else.

I have the same problem with them being too big. I find that twisting the elastics just makes a gap at the side. I don't know if this is practical or allowed at work, but to make mine fit better I swap the existing nose wire (some are pathetic!) for a piece of coated electrical wire the full width of the mask, which holds it in place better. Or I fold the top over and tape it down on the outside with micropore or similar tape. All with clean hands of course 😇

As others have said you do genuinely forget you're wearing one. It has ruined my chin though!

I wear the blue ones for 12 hours shifts, too. I find them lighter and easier that the washable ones I have for shopping. Some staff have a thin cotton one under the blue paper, as they get irritated skin from them.

You do get used to it although I do get the acne too. One tip I have is to have a pack of face qipesmin your locker and wipe your face regularly and change them.

Outside work I have a silk one and that's lovely.

I have a prescription cream for cystic acne as I Suffer badly with it. It's called epiduo (
DrugAdapalene 0.1% / Benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel) or you can buy a weaker version called clean and clear persa-gel 10 from eBay. (Weaker one not strong enough for me but may be ok for you)

I do 12.5 hr shifts and the only thing I have noticed is that I breathe through my mouth when I put the mask on, so get dry lips which I use Vaseline on. As soon as the mask is off I go back to breathing normally through my nose. We use the extenders in the ear loops which some kind person made and dropped in for us all. But in all honestly you simply get used to it. Thinking about it you don’t see those awful pictures on sm of staff with really sore bruised faces anymore, makes me wonder what kind of masks were causing that.

I find the main issue is it starts to hurt behind my ears after a long shift so I definitely need one of those contraptions that holds the elastic together at the back (I guess a hair clip would do it)

I also get headaches after a long day in a mask. Think it might be dehydration as it's so hard to drink within the rules so do try to take breaks. Maybe even use a timer to remind yourself.

Also masks are not magic especially when worn poorly so do try with other measures too especially distancing from colleagues and opening windows whenever you can. I was infected in a big outbreak at work. None of the patients got it but staff passed it around due to not observing precautions properly on breaks (it's bloody hard to do). We all observed it perfectly with patients but then (I think understandably) let our guard down in the break rooms and offices and before we knew it 10 staff had it.

I made an extender to stop my ears rubbing, I cut the cuff off a sports sock and sewed a button on each end. It works great and is softer than the crochet ones thet were made for us.

I wear a mask all day too. You soon get used to surgical mask.
Top tip is to get a good pinch over your nose to stop your eye protection steaming up.

The don't generally cause pressure damage over the nose etc but if you have a small face then ear saver tabs might help you get a better fit and protect your ears.

I actually get excited when I get to just wear a surgical mask rather than my usual FFP3 respirator!

For size, tie loops at the sides so that they fit.
You do get used to it.

For whoever was asking it was those sort of masks that were causing the bruising. Where I work we’ve moved on to reusable ones where only the filters need to be changed

I do twist the lopes do fit better. Tying does not work for me. Honestly you actually do forget you are wearing it if you do not think about. I may have gone home wearing mine, had a shower and went to bed still wearing mine.

What’s allowed can be hospital specific, our infection control nurses are down on you like a ton of bricks if you loop the ties/put a not in them to alter the fit (makes a gap at each side) or if you wear the extender things- none allowed at all for some reason!