Use an Ear Saver To Make Wearing a Mask (Or Two) Even Easier
As a chronically ill person, I have a lot of FEELINGS about how I’ve seen other people (allegedly “responsible” people!) handle this pandemic, but I can only control my own actions, so I’m focusing on that. I’m now trying to make fewer trips to “just grab something” and trying to plan ahead and run errands only once a week (or less, if I can swing it). Other than that, I’m staying at home, washing my hands, and making sure I keep up with what epidemiologists, doctors, and other scientists advise. One new one? We need to be wearing three layer surgical masks. I… have not been doing that. I had a really hard time finding masks that didn’t fold my ears over, need constant adjusting, and didn’t cut into my face. My favorites, after much trial and error, are the Athleta Everyday Masks, which I mentioned here.
When I learned we should be wearing three layer, disposable surgical masks, I immediately added these to my cart and also bought some in-person at Target. The Target ones were great, and the Amazon ones are… fine. They make me a little nervous, because they feel very loose and I feel like they’re barely holding on to my ears and there are big gaps on the side. So I’ve been layering masks, an Athleta one over a disposable one. I have very small ears, and I had a hard time finding ONE mask that didn’t fold them in half and barely hold on. I tried putting on two masks over my teensy ears but it was just not happening, then I remembered something a friend had given me way back in what? April? May? What is time?! Anyway, I had this thingy in my drawer and I’d never used it. Until now.
I don’t totally remember the story, but I believe this was the mock up or something from someone who was making these behind-the-head mask holders on a 3D printer. They had a bunch of wooden templates that they didn’t need, and gave them to a friend, who gave a bunch of them to their friends, including me. I stuck it in the drawer where I keep my masks and didn’t think of it until I started living a two mask lifestyle, and now I can’t errand without it.
I hold this little gripper at the back of my head, and put on my disposable mask, looping the straps around the teeth on this wooden thing (I clearly don’t know what to call this). Then I put an Athleta mask over that, the usual way, around my ears. It’s comfortable, I feel safe, and there’s no suffocating feeling from wearing double masks. It’s actually very easy to forget I AM wearing two masks. The only negative effect I’ve found, and it’s more weird than negative, is that when I get back in my car, take off my masks, and put on my sunglasses, my sunglasses feel like they don’t fit anymore. I don’t know if this is because they’re relatively loose compared to masks, or because the masks kind of squish my nose and it takes awhile to bounce back, or what. It’s just kind of weird, like when you go ice skating and then hours later, when you take your skates off and put your regular shoes on, they feel weird. (I always loved that weird post-skating regular-shoe feeling, possibly my favorite part of skating.)
I understand that not everyone has a benevolent friend who knows someone with a 3D printer and hands them a handful of their templates, so I’ve gone ahead and looked up some other behind-the-head mask holder options, which I have learned are, at least on Etsy, called ear savers. Here are a few different options:
All these are options from Etsy, that are reasonably priced and support a small business. I tried to include a wide variety, from 3D printed to crocheted by hand, and even some for kids (I’m envious of those kids designs, btw). Now stay home! But if you do have to go out, and you do have tiny, achy ears, get a mask holder/ear saver and hell, double up on masks, you need to protect yourself and others!
The featured image is by Clara Aranovich-Valdés, who can be found on Instagram
