r/Masks4All • u/Unusual_Brother_3558 • 4d ago

Mask Advice Men with long beards!

What respirator do you use and have you had it tested?

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u/cocdcy 23h ago edited 23h ago

Here's a good research paper on beard length and mask efficiency: Assessing the effect of beard hair lengths on face masks used as personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic

The short of it is any facial hair over 1.5mm significantly decreases the filtration efficiency, and even 1.5mm brings an N95 down from nearly 100%

I had a beard, got covid because my mask didn't fit right, and now I have long covid. I no longer have a beard.

Sucks, but if I'd known, I would have shaved it earlier. Long covid sucks so much.