beards

[lastlib]

Which full face mask.works best with a beard.

[Julie]

That's like asking which shade of blue works well on 10 yr olds from all over the world... everyone's face is different at the best of times, never mind their beards. Are you talking ZZ top beards? House's scruffy one? A goatee on one guy but not on his friend?

But none work 'well' with Cpap masks.

[Wulfman...]

Which full face mask.works best with a beard.

None! Better shave to get a good seal. I've had beards at various times in my life and all were before I started this therapy. I can't imagine trying to do this with a beard. Even a few days of stubble jack up my leak rates.


Den

.

[ups4]

If you're absolutely stuck on a full face mask, you're gonna be frustrated with leak issues until you shave.

I have a full beard and have had great luck with nasal and pillow type masks. I started with the AirFit P10 and it worked fine. I've recently been using the newer N30i and will probably stay with this one. I have little to no leak issues with it. The cushion just sits on my upper lip and kind of cradles my nose.

Now, if you have mouth breathing issues, this may not work well for you and you may need a chin strap or mouth tape to be successful.

[jimbud]

Which full face mask.works best with a beard.

I have worn a full beard for 44 years. Not going o shave it off.
There are several people on here that have beards and use CPAP effectively. (bonjour the Oscar guy even has his picture with full beard as his avatar)
You may or may not have to be creative and or accept some leakage (as long as it is still effective therapy wise). I have had little problem with leakage with the Resmed F20 and the Resmed F30i. I choose to use the P10 because I can. (with a cervical collar) A more comfortable combination for me.
If you want to keep your beard bad enough you probably can.

Good Luck,

JPB

[lastlib]

Thank you for your replies. Unfortunately it would be difficult to imposable to shave off. I have severe spinal stenosis and cannot stand long enougH to shave it off. There is no way I can sit and shave.

[greatunclebill]

if it's that bad how do you manage- if you can't shave how do you manage to get around, sleep and eat?

[nicholasjh1]

I do nasal and tape plus have a chin and mouth strap. How do I tape with a beard? using lanolin... after being strapped down with the chin/mouth strap the tape eventually sticks to my lips/beard/lanolin. Taking the tape off can be a chore though but the lanolin makes it possible.

[lastlib]

I can get around on my walker but I cannot stand and shave. There is no sink or mirror low enough to shave with.

[RogerSC]

I'm lucky enough to be able to use a nasal mask, but also have a beard. When I've tried full face masks, there were a couple of things that did better for me. The AirTouch F20 with the memory foam cushion conformed to my face and beard better, and I also played with mask liners (padacheek.com as I recall). Both of these are just suggestions, what works for me might not work for you.

It is an uphill battle though, I think that you can do okay with a full face mask, might take some trial and error to find the right one(s). But there are cloth masks, and various kinds of cushion masks, and some masks that are hybrid that might also work for you. Lots of possibilities out there...it's already been said that the right mask for you is a personal thing, the right one for me may or may not work for you. The fact that cpap.com has mask return insurance is very helpful, but be sure that you understand how it works for the particular masks that you buy...sometimes it's free, sometimes you pay extra for it.

[joeljjk11]

I would try a nasal pillow or nasal mask with a chinstrap. Been there done that with my beard and FFMs, and they just don't work. It will leak and make noises that wake you up in the middle of the night. Also if you use a FFM it will have to be really tight with the beard and it is not comfortable. Just my two cents.

Joel

[squid13]

When I was young my dad tough me how to touch shave and I very seldom use a mirror. You should learn to touch shave, you don't really need a mirror.