About Wearing Masks: Some tips from my mask-wearing experiences in South Korea
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Public health safety, but make it fashion.
Back in January, when I was visiting family and friends in the US, I was walking through JFK and CLT airports and inadvertently drawing a lot of attention to myself.
Then, coronavirus was just floating in and out of international news outlet reports. Even back in South Korea, where I was visiting from, I had only first heard about it as I approached the airport to leave the country days prior (although that’s not super-reflective of how the news was circulating around the country at that time, since I live in a very small town nestled in the mountains). However, I had been reading up about it more since I was intending to travel to Thailand (take a guess as to whether I went or not😢). Seeing how things were getting worse and worse, coupled with my knowledge of how airports and airplanes were prime places to pass on illnesses, I did what would have been natural to just about any Korean person in my shoes:
I put on a face mask.
You can probably guess how that was perceived while walking through American airports. Even Moses would’ve thought there was some divine secret behind the way crowds were parting around me. When standing in queues, I was getting sharp and weary glances, always accompanied with sly and awkward movement to create more distance between themselves and I. Clearly, my action was not taken as a natural act by the average American, regardless of the situation at hand. And when I exited the arrivals terminal at the end of my excursion and opened the door to my mom’s car, she immediately burst into laughter. She’s a natural worrier, so she actually welcomed seeing me masked-up, but she also commented, “You know people are going to see that and think that something is really wrong with you?”
Oh, how much the world has changed in a few short months.
I’m sure that if I were to walk through those same airports today, I would be just one of many sporting a face covering of some sort. For the first time, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has come out and recommended the general use of cloth face coverings in public settings where it may be difficult to exercise social distancing (grocery stores, etc.). And while the jury is still out about the efficacy of facial masks against COVID-19, I’ve come to adopt the mindset that having a cloth barrier/mask between your nose & mouth and the elements is likely better than nothing--so there’s really no harm in taking up the practice.
Since I know that even the thought of using face masks is rather novel to people out West, I wanted to make a blog post about it. Here I’ve compiled a short list of the guidelines that you should keep in mind when using masks, as well as some of my own tips from my extended experience with masks during my time in South Korea.
General Mask Usage Tips (Summarized from WHO website):
Use clean hands to administer your mask.
When putting on your mask, ensure that there are no gaps between the mask and your face.
Avoid touching your mask while using it; if you must, clean your hands before and after touching.
As soon as the mask is damp, replace it. Don’t reuse single-use masks.
When taking off, remove the mask from behind (do not touch the front of the mask), discard in a closed bin and clean hands afterwards.
Masks are not a substitute for other preventative health measures; they are effective only in tandem with frequent hand-cleaning (using alcohol-based hand rub or soap & water).
Masks are not made the same!
Etinosa’s Mask Tips (From Experience)
All masks are not made alike. So if you’re going to buy/make one, make sure it’s of adequate quality. Last month I accidently bought the most ghetto face mask I’ve ever seen; not only was it the texture of a Kleenex, but the earloops came unattached. As in, I had to loop each string through a hole and tie knots in them before I could use the mask. Complete waste of money🤦🏾♀️. You’re gonna want to make sure your mask has multiple layers of fabric. Hong Kong’s Center for Health Prevention recommends using masks with a three-layer design: an outer fluid-repelling layer, a middle germ-barrier, and an inner moisture-absorbing layer. Keep this in mind when buying/making your face masks.
When it comes to disposable masks, one important aspect for me has been the nose bridge. Opt for masks with a flexible nose bridge; that way, you can mould it to reduce gaps and fit your face better.
Double-loop your face mask around your ears to create a tighter fit.
Lipstick wearers, let this be your warning. If you’re using your mask right, chances are that your lipstick is gonna rub off onto the mask, and also smudge all around your lips. My recommendation: go for matte. If you haven’t gotten behind the matte lipstick trend, you’re going to want to before taking up wearing masks, as it’ll save you a bit of lipstick, money and heartache.
Fellow glasses wearers: we stand together in our blight. Even when you take due diligence to seal the gaps around your mask, you’re probably going to experience the dreaded fogging of your spectacles. I have yet to find a solution/hack to completely avoid this phenomenon (unless you fancy wearing your glasses near the tip of your nose, or just not breathing). Sometimes you’ll manage to find a sweet spot where there’s no fog buildup...and those seconds will be glorious but short-lived. I also wear contact lenses,
DON’T keep pulling your mask on and off every two minutes; it defeats the purpose of using it. Either commit to keeping it on, or you may as well not wear it.
Here in South Korea, masks are readily available, and have evolved past being just for health safety usage—to the point of even become a fashion piece on their own. And I encourage you to do the same! Don’t look at it as a tacky or burdensome practice; it’s well within your hands to get creative with things! You can follow these tutorials from the CDC on making your own face covering. If there’s only one DIY project you take up while social distancing, this is the one~
Sending my best wishes for the health and well-being of you and your loved ones, and I’ll see you all in my next post!
