Growing out your beard must have required a lot of patience and care, and that’s why you might be worried about wearing a respirator. The protective mask may simply compromise your precious facial hair. But can it really, or is there more to it than meets the eye?
Can you use a respirator with a beard?
Wearing tight-fitting respirators with beards isn’t safe because the facial hair on the sealing area will interfere with the filtering process. However, some loose-fitting respirators might be beard-friendly.
Now that you have your short answer, it’s time to discuss this topic in more detail.
Let’s dive in!
Why Can’t I Use a Normal Respirator With a Beard?
For a respirator to be 100% effective, protecting you against gases, particles, or vapors, it must fit snugly around your mouth and nose.
In case you have facial hair covering your cheeks and chin, no matter its length or density, it will act as a barrier that prevents the mask from hugging your skin.
As a result, there will be weak spots around the sealing area, and these paths will be low in resistance. Naturally, any gases or particles will take these paths to reach your skin, avoiding the other parts of the respirator that keep them out.
Of course, this defeats the whole purpose of wearing a protective mask, right?
Why Can’t a Beard Act as a Barrier for Particles or Vapors?
Despite how thick or dense your beard appears, it can’t prevent particles or gases from passing through it to your face. It’s simply because these particles are much tinier than your facial hair, so they’ll easily slip inside.
Plus, the hair follicles are too big to capture vapors or particles, unlike the filters that are built into your respirator.
How Can I Make a Respirator Work in Tandem With My Beard?
You still don’t need to worry about shaving your beard yet. Here are a few options to consider if you’re trying to fit respirators and beards into one category.
Option 1: Wear a Respirator If You Have a Tiny Beard
According to the CDC, some beard styles can still work with a typical respirator after all, although they aren’t many.
To be specific, a soul patch won’t get in the way of the seal, so it’s good to go.
Also, a goatee might be able to work as well, but you must be careful with it. Based on its style, it may or may not fall under the line of the respirator seal. As long as it’s out of its path, a goatee can pass the test.
The same applies to anchor and Balbo beards.
Here’s every beard style that you aren’t allowed to wear with a tight-fitting respirator.
- Full beard
- Ducktail
- Extended goatee
- Stubble or long stubble
- Imperial
- Circle beard
- French fork
- Chin curtain
Option 2: Perform a User Seal Check When in Doubt
Sometimes, your beard might not be that big or coarse that it might interfere with a respirator, but how to know for certain if it won’t get in the way?
Easy. All you’ll have to do is do a user seal check to ensure that the respirator isn’t affected by your light facial hair.
Of course, user seal checks tend to vary from one respirator model to another. To perform one correctly, always refer to the manufacturer’s instructions regarding this test.
Usually, you’ll find clear directions telling you how to check the effectiveness of the respirator’s seal on the product’s box. If not, they’ll likely be inked on the individual packaging of the respirator or the user’s manual.
Option 3: Get Yourself a Loose-Fitting Respirator
This might be the best and safest suggestion out of the bunch. See, the greatest thing about loose-fitting, or powered air-purifying, respirators is that their seal area isn’t on your face.
On the contrary, loose-fitting respirators are more like helmets, protecting your mouth and nose without getting near your beard. In this case, the seal will be around your entire head.
If you use a powered air-purifying respirator, you won’t have to sacrifice your beard no matter how long it is. That’s a relief to know!
The only downside to a PAPR is that it’s more expensive than your typical respirator. That’s because it comes with more pieces of equipment, long battery hours, and higher filtration levels.
What Are Some of the Best Loose-Fitting Respirators on the Market?
Ready to shop for a new respirator that won’t have you give up on your hard-earned beard? The following list of options is a good way to start your search!
1. 3M Versaflo PAPR TR-300N+ ECK Respirator
This 3M respirator is a favorite of many individuals who work in the food safety, recycling, and medical fields. Besides the fact that it can handle your beard beautifully, there are other things you’ll probably like about this PAPR.
For example, it boasts a high-capacity battery that can stay alive for 8 to 12 hours before it needs a recharge. So, if you spend the majority of your day at your workplace, the battery should be able to keep up.
Plus, the hood is disposable and all the parts of the respirators are a breeze to clean.
Just remember that this PAPR only filters particles but not gases or vapors.
2. 3M Versaflo PAPR TR-600-ECK Respirator
This is another popular Versaflo respirator by 3M that you might want to give a shot. It’s a bit pricier than the previous 300+ model, but a lot of cool features can explain this difference in price.
Well, first of all, you’ll still be able to grow your beard with this respirator, but make sure it’s not too long. You can always check how compatible this device is with your beard via running a user seal test after all.
Second of all, this respirator has more battery power, extending to 19 hours if you get the high-capacity battery. Also, it offers you more airflow, supports chemical cartridges, and has a higher IP rating.
Can I Have a Mustache With a Respirator?
The answer depends on the type and length of your mustache, the same as it is with your beard. If you’re rocking the following mustache styles, you can wear a tight-fitting respirator just fine:
- Painter’s brush
- Handlebar
- Pencil
- Lampshade
- Toothbrush
- Chevron
- Zappa
Alternatively, these mustache looks may not be suitable to have while wearing a respirator:
- Horseshoe
- Dali
- English
- Fu Manchu
To Wrap It Up
Can you use a respirator with a beard?
It’s a tricky question, but, hopefully, this article was the in-depth answer that you needed to know. To sum it up, some beards can work with respirators as long as they don’t cross the sealing area.
If you have a long, but not overly long, beard, you can always invest in a loose-fitting respirator and wear it with confidence.
Wondering if some jobs are more beard-friendly than yours? These are 9 jobs that can be perfect for a man with a beard!
