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oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Fritz
Date: October 13, 2021 09:58PM
anyone have a 94 mask they like and have a big head?
The elastics are killing my ears.



"one door closes and another window opens"
Vlad the Impailer.

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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Speedy
Date: October 13, 2021 10:07PM
Band-aids applied where it contacts the ears.



Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Fritz
Date: October 13, 2021 10:08PM
tried that. nearly as ear a tating



"one door closes and another window opens"
Vlad the Impailer.

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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Speedy
Date: October 13, 2021 10:10PM
Quote
Fritz
tried that. nearly as ear a tating

thumbs up



Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Sarcany
Date: October 13, 2021 10:34PM
Silicone extenders that move the strings under the ears:
[smile.amazon.com]

No more ear-pain.



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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Lizabeth
Date: October 13, 2021 10:41PM
Or have some one made you a mask with longer elastic loops

Midnight baker masks on YouTube
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: davester
Date: October 13, 2021 11:12PM
You can buy inexpensive extenders that attach to the ear loops and wrap behind your head, completely taking pressure off the ears...OR you can buy N95 masks that have straps that go behind your head, not your ears. So many early solutions!



"Man is a little germ that lives on an unimportant rock ball that revolves about a small star at the outskirts of an ordinary galaxy. ... I am absolutely amazed to discover myself on this rock ball rotating around a spherical fire. It's a very odd situation. And the more I look at things I cannot get rid of the feeling that existence is quite weird. -- Alan Watts
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Sarcany
Date: October 14, 2021 06:46AM
Quote
davester
...OR you can buy N95 masks that have straps that go behind your head, not your ears.

The nose-piece on N95 masks cuts into my nose over the course of a day, leaving a nasty welt.

And the N95s that have those double-bands that go behind the head don't come in "adult" sizes, are so tight that they cut off blood-flow and leave trenches cut into my neck and the back of my head after just a few minutes.

There are N95-style masks that have fabric-ties instead of bands, but I haven't seen any that are certified, and they'd still have the nose-piece problem.

KF94 is where it's at. With a silicone extender.



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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Robert M
Date: October 14, 2021 07:15AM
Sarcany,

Never an issue with N95 masks and their nose pieces cutting into my nose and bands being too tight behind my head. Doesn't matter what brand. I suspect the issues you have aren't common and relate to each other. My favorite N95 models are the Kimberly-Clarke "duck" style. Not too expensive and readily available. Certified is a must, regardless of brand.

Robert
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: October 14, 2021 07:25AM
I too have an enormous head (more storage for the rocks inside it, per Mrs. Cbelt3). Ultimately my large ears will just flop forward more when this is all over.

FWIW proper N95 masks go behind the head and not over the ears.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Speedy
Date: October 14, 2021 09:27AM
Our last batch of KN95’s bought on eBay was also really tight. My wife hates them even though she only needs to wear them for an hour at a time.



Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: ztirffritz
Date: October 14, 2021 09:40AM
I printed ear savers.

[www.thingiverse.com]



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MacResource User Map: [www.zeemaps.com]#
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: davester
Date: October 14, 2021 11:10AM
Quote
Sarcany
The nose-piece on N95 masks cuts into my nose over the course of a day, leaving a nasty welt.

And the N95s that have those double-bands that go behind the head don't come in "adult" sizes, are so tight that they cut off blood-flow and leave trenches cut into my neck and the back of my head after just a few minutes..

N95 is simply a certification level for the filtration effectiveness of a respirator. There are literally hundreds of masks that have this certification and they come in a wide variety of designs, some in different sizes, and many with adjustable straps. I can see how perhaps you can't find any locally that fit you but it is simply not true to say that all mask nose pieces would cut into your nose or that none of them come in adult sizes.



"Man is a little germ that lives on an unimportant rock ball that revolves about a small star at the outskirts of an ordinary galaxy. ... I am absolutely amazed to discover myself on this rock ball rotating around a spherical fire. It's a very odd situation. And the more I look at things I cannot get rid of the feeling that existence is quite weird. -- Alan Watts
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Sarcany
Date: October 14, 2021 11:49AM
Quote
davester
N95 is simply a certification level for the filtration effectiveness of a respirator. There are literally hundreds of masks that have this certification and they come in a wide variety of designs, some in different sizes, and many with adjustable straps...

True, and if I go to Lowes and pick up a vented respirator, I can find one that doesn't have these problems... But that's a vented respirator which means that it protects me and not the people around me.

20 months in, I have yet to find a N95 certified mask without a vent that doesn't have a damaging slab of metal that digs into my nose, nor one that has a comfortable adult-male sized band/strap.

Kimberly-Clarke and 3M's N95 masks with the rubber around-the-back-of-the-head bands are both sized for infants. Those 3Ms with the yellow bands dig in so deep that after wearing one for a half hour, the welts remain for days and days.



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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: davester
Date: October 14, 2021 12:52PM
Quote
Sarcany
True, and if I go to Lowes and pick up a vented respirator, I can find one that doesn't have these problems... But that's a vented respirator which means that it protects me and not the people around me.

One strategy to consider is to tape over the vent on the inside, which this NIOSH study found to be effective:

NIOSH Mitigation Strategies Tested:
Quote

(1)covering the valve on the interior of the FFR with commonly available surgical tape,
(2)covering the valve on the interior of the FFR with an electrocardiogram (ECG) pad;
(3)stretching a surgical mask over the exterior of the FFR. (note that this didn't work very well)

[www.cdc.gov]

You might want to also put tape over the outside of the vent just so people don't get annoyed by you wearing a vented respirator.



"Man is a little germ that lives on an unimportant rock ball that revolves about a small star at the outskirts of an ordinary galaxy. ... I am absolutely amazed to discover myself on this rock ball rotating around a spherical fire. It's a very odd situation. And the more I look at things I cannot get rid of the feeling that existence is quite weird. -- Alan Watts



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2021 12:53PM by davester.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Sarcany
Date: October 14, 2021 01:04PM
Quote
davester
One strategy to consider is to tape over the vent on the inside...
You might want to also put tape over the outside of the vent just so people don't get annoyed by you wearing a vented respirator.

Had not considered that option. Would need to cover the vent in a manner that did not suggest it was a vent, to minimize opportunity for misunderstandings.

Maybe one of these...





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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Speedy
Date: October 14, 2021 03:28PM
I’ve bought about 1500 KN95 masks. All have fit me well except for the last batch of 50. My fat head keeps them tight to my face and the mask fabric will move in and out as I breath (unless I don’t shave for a couple of days.)



Saint Cloud, Minnesota, where the weather is wonderful even when it isn't.
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: wave rider
Date: October 15, 2021 10:42AM
I do like the Kimberly Clark "pouch or duck" mask. Seals very well after I took off the beard. I find them quite comfortable although the longest I've worn any mask is a few hours.

I wear a New Era baseball cap size 8, so I would not say I have a small head.



=wr=
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Re: oh my fkn ears! masks
Posted by: Buzz
Date: October 16, 2021 09:47PM
I buy elastic hair bands, and our nanny, who is a whiz w/ the sewing machine, cuts them to size and sews them onto masks so that they fit slightly loose behind the neck, and adjust to size on top of the mega melon. Works well.
==
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