With healthcare workers and frontline carers having to wear face masks for extended periods, many were finding that the elastic strap passing around their ears was causing severe abrasion and chafing to the area of sensitive skin behind the ear. A simple, cost-effective device was needed that would alleviate this issue.

Highly efficacious and widely adopted, this simple plastic strap maintains the functionality of the wearer’s face mask, but relocates and redistributes the area of tension over a larger area at the back of their head. The result is long term comfort and the complete cessation of any irritation.

Several prototype solutions were developed and tested on in situ healthcare workers. Refinements were made to these, until the final optimum solution was devised.