Well, I may look like Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper) out of 'Blue Velvet', but it's not the mask you should be afraid of, it's what can happen if you don't wear it!

Mask fit is critical when it comes to getting a proper nights sleep.
Here are some problems I found, and solutions that worked for me:

1. Shave off that beard ! (if you are a man of course)
I miss my beard, but getting a good sleep is much more important. Having had a beard for over 20 years, I'd forgotton how to shave!
I bought an electric shaver, a cheap rechargable one and it was hopeless, so I then tried 'wet shaving', with a cheap bic razor...
oops! - I did look like something from the Hammer House of Horror !
moved up market to a decent wet razor (Gillette Mach 3) with much better results, but still a lot of messing about, and still a raw (i.e. red) chin.
Treated myself to a mains only electric shaver (Remington rs4400) for just under ?30 from Argos, this is not meant to be an advert (I'm not getting paid anything for this) but the results - perfect and no wet shave fuss and no red chin !

2. Mask rejection.
If you've just started using CPAP and are getting used to your mask, don't worry, you will. After a while, not wearing one is like getting into a car without a seat belt on, doesn't feel right. I had terrible problems with mask rejection for the first few weeks, e.g. ripping the mask off during the night while still asleep. But this does wear off, and now it feels normal to wear one.(Like the Borg, humans adapt - sorry I'm a Trekkie!).

3. Get the 'headgear' working the way you want.
I had real problems with the 'headgear' straps. I use a full face mask, as I tend to suffer from nasel blockage, and the straps (Mirage mask) were comfortable, but not flexible (i.e. not elasticated). This meant that I either had to have the straps really tight - which was uncomfortable and was highly restrictive, or loose, which meant a poor mask fit - i.e. leakage. There seemed to be no compromise to this.
So I made my own modification, got a piece of elastic (from an old pair of undies!) and tied it between one of the bottom clips of the mask and the lower headgear strap. Problem solved! This meant that the bottom part of the mask moved with my jaw, giving me a good mask fit without it being uncomfortable. I emailed ResMed about this, and got an email from ResMed in Australia saying that they found my comments useful and were looking into improving the headgear.

4. Cleaning and abrasions.
A few useful tips (Thanks to Julia Roberts - clinical pysiologist at the sleep clinic, Ysbyty, Gwynedd):
wash your mask in warm water with baby bubble bath
If you get skin abrasions from your mask, try using E45 (obtainable at most chemists and supermarkets). It works for me.

Happy sleeping in 2003.

Glyn.