Pro-made vs homemade face masks
Why it’s pros-before-shows when it comes to our health and wellbeing
For many of us, 2020 has seen us bring out our creative sides, sometimes doing things for the first time. Over various lockdowns, our social feeds became filled with gardening, DIY or baking projects and friends’ proud smiles. That is, until people realised Netflix was easier and the zeal slowly dropped off. The bright side is, we now know we can be creative when we want to be.
Many of us poured our creative spirit into a more topical venture. We dusted off our old sewing machines and made funky face masks at home. Some went further and started businesses that are still doing well and have branched out into more products. The face mask boom was even credited for pushing up Etsy’s share price.
So, where is the “but”? And yes there is a “but”. The problem is that homemade masks tend to be made from one or two pieces of cloth. While they are not so good at protecting you from the virus, they do go some way to protecting others from you, but nowhere near as well as professionally made coverings. Here’s why.
A better fit for your face
In order to fully cover your mouth and nose, and properly filter the air you breathe, a mask needs to fit snugly around the contours of your face. Gaps between your cheeks and your nose or under your chin mean you are still breathing a lot of unfiltered air. In a homemade mask, the cloth’s only real function is to stop particles from spreading when you talk, sneeze or cough.
Technologically superior
If you read the product specifications for professionally made masks like those from Smartcover, you get an idea of how much more protective than homemade they really are. For instance, their masks are made with three layers, as recommended by the WHO, and each one performs a different job for filtration. The material is water resistant, so water-borne particles don’t seep through, and it’s antibacterial. Think about how many times you touch your mask while you are wearing it. Each touch could be passing nasties from your hands to your face, or from you to surfaces. With a handmade mask, you need to be constantly disinfecting your hands. An antibacterial mask adds that extra level of security.
Breathability and comfort
If a mask isn’t comfortable, you’re less likely to wear it, and put yourself at risk. Cloth masks are heavier and harder to breathe through than the professional variety, which means you are either not getting much oxygen, or you are breathing air through gaps around the edges of the mask.
Pro-made masks look good now
It took some time, but you can now get something a bit more style conscious from pro-made masks. Of course, they will never look as trendy as those made by fashion houses, and it’s much easier to reflect your personal style by making your own. But, at least you won’t look like you’ve just come off the ward when you go get your lunch from the shops.
The verdict?
It’s fair to say that professionally made masks are much better at doing their job. So, while making your own fabric mask is better than doing nothing, if you want to feel safer, more comfortable and be able to breathe easy (literally), invest in a couple of properly made masks. For those of you who just don’t have time to make your own anyway, you can feel less guilty about leaving the sewing machine in the loft.
