If your CPAP keeps leaving marks on your face and is preventing you from wanting to use it then there are a handful of things you can do to prevent these marks.
One frequent mistake that wearers of CPAP make is tightening their mask too much which results in the straps digging into the skin and leaving marks. You should tighten your mask a little bit at a time until it feels snug but not too tight on the skin. If you can’t get a tight seal then you may need to replace the cushioning and the nasal pillows on the mask to make sure it fits your face properly and it doesn’t leak.
If your mask isn’t too tight on your face but is still leaving marks or redness, then it could be down to irritation from the chaffing of the silicone. Try using specialized CPAP mask lines to reduce this irritation.
Another way of preventing marks will be using a soft wrap of some sort to create a softer barrier between the straps and your skin, but making sure the seal doesn’t get removed from your skin otherwise, it will leak. You can buy fleece or material wraps online, or you could always make your own out of spare materials and then add on some velcro so you can attach it to your mask.
Invest in some gel nasal pads to protect your nose from developing redness and soreness from the solid plastic on the mask. These gel pads stick to the bridge of your nose and will create a barrier. You can find these in medical supply stores and they normally come in a pack.
You could always try using a specialized CPAP mask gel that’ll create a seal between your skin and the mask without it being too tight on your face. This will allow you to wear it a bit looser without the risk of the mask leaking.
There are actually cloth material CPAP masks out there if you want to try them out instead, they’re a bit more difficult to come across but they may just solve your problem completely without having to invest in additional facial accessories.
There are upgraded versions of the traditional CPAP masks which have reduced facial covering to prevent markings from being formed on your skin. This is especially good for people who move around in their sleep a lot or who may sleep on their side which causes increased pressure of the material of the mask on your skin.