Skin Irritation

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
mottzzz
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 06, 2018 2:04 pm

Skin Irritation

Post by mottzzz » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:09 am

CPAP masks tend to irritate my skin. When I had the nasal mask that covered my whole nose, I would get irritation on the bridge of my nose.
Right now, I'm using the pillow mask and the outer edges of my nostrils are getting sore and a couple of pores are getting clogged.
Does anyone have any tips for this?
For the nasal mask, I tried putting a band-aid or something on the bridge of my nose, but that doesn't quite work for my nostrils.

User avatar
Pugsy
Posts: 63941
Joined: Thu May 14, 2009 9:31 am
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Skin Irritation

Post by Pugsy » Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:28 am

Lansinoh lanolin ointment/cream for the existing nostril issues.
Frequently in large amounts during the day to help heal faster. Sparingly at bedtime though. If you use too much your body heat will melt it and the nasal pillow might end up in your ear...the reason I mention that...I did it. :lol:

Nasal pillows shouldn't cause anything but very minor tenderness at most and that should fade away once the nostrils get used to having something touch them.
Anything more than minor tenderness....like skin abrasions or significant pain...something is wrong with the fit.
Either it's too tight or the wrong size pillow and it's moving around a bit or maybe both wrong size and too tight.

Surprisingly the most common mistake people make is they crank that sucker down too tight. Too tight actually causes more movement than it fixes in terms of the pillows and it often pulls the pillow rim up inside the nostril which will cause abrasions.
So try the next size larger and see if it helps or not and review any fitting videos available to make sure you don't have the straps too tight. If you look in the mirror and the first thought through your mind is "piggy nose"....it's too tight.

Take one of the pillows all by itself and place it gently on your nostrils so that it seals...that's as snug as it needs to be.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.