Although face masks have become a necessary fact of life in the COVID-19 era, you may still be adjusting to wearing them all day. Let's face it: Between sucking on the fabric and the earmuffs that rub against your skin, masks can be, well, a bit annoying.
That's probably the reason why more and more mask accessories are appearing on the market with the promise of greater convenience and comfort. A recent trend, mask holders, is gaining popularity among mask wearers.
These silicone-based support frames, which are inserted into the face mask, are intended to facilitate breathing and prevent you from feeling hot while wearing a mask. These small structures supposedly prevent the fabric from touching your nose and mouth, thus creating more room to breathe and less friction between your face and the fabric.
Are the face mask holders safe?
Since the mask holders are brand new, no one really knows.
This is a very limited topic with no actual scientific data or even a significant body of experience. In fact, research is needed to understand how these supports alter the effectiveness of masks, for better or for worse. You may find the added accessory more uncomfortable than just wearing the mask.
However, to our current knowledge, braces can make face masks less effective if the brace worsens the fit of the mask itself . In other words, braces can create gaps or cause the mask not to cover the entire nose or mouth.
Conversely, anything that improves the fit and prevents air from flowing in or out of the edges is an improvement in effectiveness.
If these flexible clips can improve the fit of the mask, they could be useful in heavy breathing or high humidity situations , such as exercise, where the mask may more commonly stick to the skin.
As there are variations in the design of the brackets, users would have to experiment to find the best fit. One brand on Amazon recommends using double-sided tape or sewing the silicone backing onto the mask to keep the insert in place.
Still, some people will find the additional accessory more uncomfortable than just wearing the mask and nothing else.
How to properly care for the mask supports?
If you decide to give these silicone mask holders a spin, keep in mind that you will need to disinfect your reusable holders after each use.
Rubbing with soap and water should be enough. The soap is safe and suitable for silicone and similar materials.
