Mask Decay

Fynwei

Fynwei

Squire
I have a slush cast mask that has worked wonderfully for me for the last few events except for a few problems:
1) My rubber allergies are acting up with how frequently I've been using prosthetics
2) The mask is starting to decay around the edges
3) Have been having ventilation problems with the nose
(raining inside my mask)
I've been considering re-casting the mask in a different material. I've got my face casting already from other craft projects, so I'll most likely be casting to fit. Obviously looking for durability, comfort, and hopefully non-rubber. Any suggestions?
Chipmunkmask.jpg
 
Untreated latex will begin to degrade when regular makeup is applied to it. I believe that there are some special items out there to counter this but I'm not in the know about it.

There are some high density flex foams out there that aren't latex based that might work but it would require making your mold out of silicone instead of plaster (you could coat the plaster with shellac to seal it). In addition, they don't do the slush method very well so you'd need to do the two piece thing with it. A low density flex foam (3 pound) comes out like open cell foam while a high density (12 pound) comes out almost like a plastic. It is rather rigid but there is a little flex to it. You might even want to try it with the low density, cover the outside with a coat of latex and then inside with fabric.

It's not a perfect answer but there's not much you an do if you're looking for a non-latex solution.

As for the 'rain', I have found that cutting a piece of the mask out under the nose and replacing it with some porous fabric helps it breathe better.
 
Play in Minnesota more, the artic chill preserves all.... :mrgreen:
 
1) If you have a latex allergy, you *really* shouldn't use latex prosthetics at all. It could flare up or become worse over time, and risking having your airway constrict won't be fun.
Could you possibly have an allergy to your adhesive instead? Are you using Spirit Gum or Pros-Aid?

2) There are several reasons this could happen. We use pre-vulcanized latex for our slush cast prosthetics, which means they shouldn't degrade on their own by sitting idle. I have some slush cast stock items that are a year old and are still in perfect condition.
What can make them deteriorate over time would be what you use and do with the piece.

-First, what is the type of makeup you use? Are you using water based or oil based makeup? Oil based makeup can affect the latex and make it lose its stretch and become prone to tearing away. Water based makeup won't have such a problem.

-Next, where do you store the prosthetic? Do you leave it sitting somewhere where it'll be sitting in direct sunlight several hours a day for weeks on end? Latex becomes mushy or brittle when left in UV rays for an extended period of time. I've also had similar deterioration when storing a prosthetic on a TV, becoming heated on a regular basis. Storing it in a cool place out of direct sunlight with 50ish% humidity would help.

-The last that comes to mind would be the adhesive. Which do you use? Pros-Aid or Spirit Gum? If it's Spirit Gum, it can make the areas covered with it brittle over time. With Pros-Aid, it'll simply build-up glue on those edges which will need to be picked/rubbed off after 6 or so applications.

3) Have you cut open the nostrils? You can carefully trim them open larger. If it's still hard to breathe, you can try putting 2 very short pieces of 1/4" or 3/8" vinyl tubing into the prosthetic's nostril holes and have them go up into your nostrils.
 
The "decay" problems I am having mostly concern the latex re-posiotioning itself. I'm guessing that is because of the moisture build-up, but not entirely sure. I store my mask in an old shoebox with silicone gel packets and wrapped in non-acidic tissue paper. The outside of the mask is still in good condition. I use water-based costume makeup on top of the acrylic guideline paint I put on when I first recieved the mask. I found out pretty fast that spirit gum made the edges brittle. It is possible that I'm allergic to the spirit gum, but I never had trouble with my woochie ears w/ spirit gum. The only other rubber I have had bad reactions to were those Livestrong bracelets. Haven't cut open the nostrils yet. The ventilation problems aren't for breathing, I can breathe perfectly fine in the mask; it's the moisture buildup. Considering lining the inside with plastic.
 
If you go to a medical supply store, you can pick up some adhesive there that isn't spirit gum. It tends to bind a bit stronger than spirit gum but I personally have never used the stuff.

If you want to check to see if you're allergic to the mask itself, simply sit down with it on your elbow or forearm for a while. If a rash begins to form, it'll be pretty sure that it is the latex and not the adhesive. You could also but a small dab of spirit gum on your skin and see what reactions you get.
 
I use Larpax Adhesive for my Fox Scavenger Prosthetic.

It is a stronger adhesive and it should be applied first, then after it sits overnight applied.

Otherwise it may damage the prosthetic.
 
Lining the inside with plastic will irritate the heck out of you because it won't allow your skin to breathe. You're better off putting a thin layer of gauze inside that will give some breathing room between your skin and the mask as well as absorb that moisture. Then when you take the mask off for the day just toss it and put in fresh gauze next time.
 
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