Masks are the new normal. However, people who wear glasses often struggle to see properly while staying safe and following mask guidelines. Breath fogs up the interior of their lenses and requires constant cleaning. No matter how fitted the mask, bespectacled people often find it hard to avoid steaming up their lenses.
As cold weather approaches, this problem may be exacerbated by the natural condensation when one comes inside from the cold. Thankfully, an experienced surgeon recently tweeted a simple mask hack for avoiding that pesky fog. Retweeted by thousands of grateful glasses-wearing people, all that is needed is a simple Bandaid or any adhesive bandage.
On November 12th, neurosurgeon Dr. Daniel M. Heiferman tweeted his mask hack for avoiding steamy glasses. The surgeon does not wear prescription lenses himself, but often wears surgical loupes—magnifying eyeglasses worn in the operating room. Doctors mask up during surgeries, so for years now Dr. Heiferman has been using adhesive cloth bandages over the bridge of his nose.
The bandages tape the upper rim of the mask down so that the opening underneath the eyewear is mostly sealed. The surgeon shared a picture of his method, citing the bandage is also useful to anchor the mask if it is slips regularly. In a follow-up tweet he shared a tip for positioning your bandaid: “Put the cotton part of the bandaid on the bridge of your nose with half of it on the mask and half on your face.
With the cotton on the bridge, I found my nose didn’t get irritated after many days of use like other tapes would.” Many are finding that masking up is becoming second nature after months of doing so. Making your mask your own can help make the new accessory a style statement. At the My Modern Met Store, you will find awesome masks inspired by some of the world’s most renowned artwork.
For example, there’s a gorgeous reversible face mask inspired by Hokusai’s Great Wave woodblock print. As many struggle to find connection in the age of social distancing and Zoom, a creative mask can be a great way to inspire a (distanced) conversation. Of course, if you wear glasses, do not forget to try Dr. Heiferman’s mask hack so that you can see clearly!