What I Learned From Wearing A Face-Mask For The Past 5 Months

The not so optional accessory everybody must wear.

As humanity has been facing a huge health issue, putting the entire world on halt and affecting the world economy in a tremendous way, society still found it’s way to work around this calamity and profit off it — with a positive tune — to adapt and build the market back up.

We are swarmed by ads from sports brands like Adidas or Puma, to even newly-formed stores that solely dedicate to face-mask fabrication, which are stepping in the game and coming up with stylish designs and more comfortable masks than the traditional cotton ones, to better please and satisfy their customer’s needs.

You might have realized at this point that most people — if not everyone — is wearing a mask wherever they go (if they’re not, they’re making a huge mistake). It’s a tough accessory to wear in the middle of the summer, but if we truly care about overcoming this situation and avoid spreading the virus, we must.

They can be very uncomfortable and sometimes awkward even, but they’re essential when going out in public.

For some people, the problem might not be wearing an uncomfortable piece of cloth over their face, but finding a stylish one that coordinates with a great outfit they have planned on for a while and were finally able to pull off.

Let’s not judge so fast, we know face masks were never meant to be fashionable, but realistically speaking putting ourselves in the shoes of a fashion enthusiast's perspective, face-masks catch our attention first before we even look at someone’s clothes, as they’re covering half of your face.

It is rapidly becoming obvious that wearing a face-cover is going to become an everyday thing. People won’t feel as safe without one anymore, and if you think about it, this might help to stay away from the contamination we are commonly exposed to as well.

There is obviously no science behind it, but there are a few things I wish I had known before rushing to purchase a face-cover and what I have been noticing while observing people whenever I get the chance to go out and unwind from being locked up in my house.

Make sure you choose the right material

People might tell you, the thicker the mask the better and you will be more protected. This has some truth in it, given if you wear a really thin mask, you might as well not wear one at all.

If you like denim fabric because it is stylish and comfortable, be my guest; but you will want to take it off and throw it away after 5 minutes in this hot-as-hell weather.

Make sure you’re choosing breathable materials like double layers of knit or cotton poplin, made to be worn for long hours, and stay away from fabrics that are suffocating you and causing headaches.

Owning a pair is not enough

I know what you’re thinking, “why do I need more than one or two if I’m staying home all the time?”, but you better have more than just a couple unless you want to either wash them everyday, throw them away or wear possibly contaminated ones more than 3 times in the same week.

Just for the record, you definitely shouldn’t wear a dirty mask for obvious reasons. You will find out that purchasing more than a couple will be practical and healthy.

Make sure it fits, and it’s well adjusted to your face

Out of ten face-masks I have worn in a couple of months, only two didn’t look like a clumped mess on my face, and very few were way too small to even cover below my chin.

This is a very common issue, but it is worth spending some extra time shopping for ones that list the measurements or have adjustable straps. If you’re ready to give up, try ones you can tie at the back of your head.

Choosing elastic straps over tied straps

If you’re lazy or a really busy person, I recommend you purchase a face-mask you can just slip behind your ears.

Whenever you need to take it off and put it back on a few minutes later, it will make your life much easier to have elastic straps behind your ears than having to tie them up every single time you have to step out again or greet someone.

Be careful where you’re putting it away when you’re not wearing it

Even though you shouldn’t be taking it off all the time, unless you really need to, making sure you’re not tossing it where it can get contaminated is very important.

I have made the mistake of taking it off when I’m driving and accidentally leaving it on the passenger’s seat or letting it fall on the floor; then I have to soak it in sanitizer or alcohol if I need to wear it again (this is why you need to carry more than one with you).

You can opt to carry a special plastic bag or a special cover so you can store it if you’re not wearing it anymore.

What I noticed from girls wearing heavy make-up

Any time I look at a girl with lots of eye make-up, I can’t help it but wonder if they only wore it on the visible part of their face but nothing on the lower half.

If you like heavy make-up, good for you, but keep in mind masks trap sweat and moisture on your skin. You will have a mix of moist, lipstick and foundation on your face and a stained face-mask by the end of the day, in case you didn’t intend to take it off at some point during the day.

Choose something that makes you feel comfortable

This obviously isn’t a life-or-death mistake, but since it covers half of your face, your mask is the first thing people will notice about you when wearing one, so you might as well embrace having a new accessory and opt for one that you actually look forward to wearing (as much as possible, that is) and that complements your wardrobe.

We don’t know for sure if there will ever be a time when we are completely comfortable wearing something over our face, making it more difficult to breathe, or not to ruin your make-up. You feel sweaty and you know you can’t really take it off for a bit, if so what’s the point of wearing it in the first place?

But just so you know, in case it wasn’t obvious, there are a couple face-mask wearing rules, such as making sure your mask covers from above your nose (stop leaving your nose out!) to below your chin; and avoid touching your face while trying to adjust it; if you really need to, you better disinfect them before going anywhere near your mouth, eyes or nose.