Foggy Glasses and Face Masks: Fixing the Problem

We didn’t ask for it, and we’re not yet entirely used to it, but for the foreseeable future it seems, face masks are a necessary part of our everyday attire. Every one of us is wearing our face masks as diligently as possible to protect each other from the spread of Covid-19, and if wearing a mask wasn’t tricky enough without them, throw eyeglasses into the mix and the whole exercise gets foggy and annoying!

So, how do you prevent your glasses from fogging up while wearing your face mask!?

Seeing Through the Fog

To quickly break it down, your glasses are fogging up because the warm, moist air that you’re exhaling is being directed upwards and inside your glasses, condensing on the cooler lenses and fogging up.

So, simple solution, right? Keep your breath from reaching your lenses and you solve the whole problem. Sure, if it were only that easy!

Those of us out there sporting face masks and glasses haven’t found it to be quite so easy, or is it…?

Not All Masks Are Created Equal

There are valiant efforts all across the country, and some in our own backyard, to stitch and distribute masks in every color and pattern imaginable, but they often to leave one thing out: the tight fit needed to fight the fog!

If your glasses are fogging up when you’re wearing your mask, you need a better-fitting mask. There’s no shortage of masks to be had out there, you want to find one that fits securely over your nose. Masks that have a “nose bridge” can be contoured to fit tightly over the bridge of your nose to keep your breath from escaping upwards.

Some mask manufacturers include a thin strip of metal sewn into the mask above the nose for just this purpose. Even local mask-makers are sewing pipe cleaners or twisting ties into the mask to achieve the same goal.

Treat the Lenses

Another popular solution is one that is often employed professionally, both with fancy gels and sprays, and simple kitchen hacks. Professional hockey players are required to wear clear half-face shields. As they work hard and breathe harder in the cold environment of the ice rink, those shields would fog up instantly if they weren’t treated in some way to avoid it.

The pros treat their glasses and shields with anti-fog gels and sprays, but do you know what works just as well? Soap and water! Surgeons have been using this technique to keep their glasses from fogging during surgery for years. Simply wash your glasses with mild soap and water, shake off the excess liquid, and allow the lenses to air dry. The soap will leave behind a thin film that keeps the lenses from fogging up.

Some eyeglass lenses can actually be purchased and treated with an anti-fog coating. Talk to your optician if you want to solve the problem once and for all with new lenses, and frames that match the mask of your choice!

Other Ways to Fight the Fog

If all else fails, you can always try taping down the top of your mask (obviously, not an ideal solution!), or adjusting the way you wear your glasses.

The opticians at BOE are your best bet for help adjusting your glasses so they both fit comfortably and sit just a little further off your face so your breath is less likely to get trapped there and fog your lenses. Some people are having success simply pulling their face mask up high enough over their nose, so they wear their eyeglasses over their mask. If that works for you, then great!

Still, having trouble? Come talk to us, and we’ll find a solution that works for you!

Wear your mask, stay safe, and don’t try just going without your glasses altogether, you’ll likely just bump into more trouble that way!!