Fogging of eye-glasses with face masks? How to avoid the fogging?

CDC and WHO has recommended people to wear face masks in public places while maintaining social distancing. Most country governments have also made this mandatory in crowded areas where social distancing cannot be practiced. Many governments have been strict and have asked people to wear it whenever they are out in public areas. But this mandate has left spectacled people irritated and angry. The reason is the fogging of their glasses after wearing face masks that make then unable to see. So what is the solution? Listed below are measures to overcome the eyeglasses fogging with face masks!

First and foremost, let us know why eyeglasses get fogged when one wears a face mask. When a person with spectacles wears a face mask, the warm air released during breathing leaks out from the sides of the face mask. The upward leaking air lands on the cooler surface of the eyeglasses.

Eyeglass fogging with face masks [Source: Assil Eye Institute]

The water vapor in the exhaled air condenses and gives rise to fogging. There is an inherent surface tension between the water droplets that makes them coalesce and form a fog on the glass surface of the eyeglasses. Therefore, the following steps can be taken to avoid it:

1.      The most important thing to do first is to ensure that the face mask you are using is of the right size for you and fits your face snugly. When the face mask is a proper and snugly fit, chance of the warm air leaking is minimized. Hence the air leak is too small and inadequate to form a fog on the eyeglass.

2.      Try to breath downwards. It is a bit difficult but can be learned and becomes easy with practice.

3.      Try face mask sealing with a double-sided tape. Shaun Veran, co-founder of OURA states:

“If you place the double-sided tape between the inside of the mask and the bridge of your nose, it will create a better seal,”

He added:

“You can also place an additional piece of cellophane or masking tape over the mask as well.”

4.      Adjust your specs so that it is slightly farther from the face. One can do so by tweaking the nose pads. Shannen Knight is the owner of A Sight for Sport Eyes, an eyewear retailer based in West Linn, Oregon. He said:

“This will allow that hot air to escape instead of getting trapped between your face and the lenses of the glasses,”

Anti-fog face masks [Source: Pinterest]

Avoid if you have progressive lenses or there is a larger refractive error. Since doing so would cause difficulty in vision.

5.      Try soapy water wash of the eyeglasses before the wearing. Let the eyeglasses air dry or use a clean soft microfiber cloth to dry it. Doing this leaves a thin film on the surface of the lens and this reduces the surface tension and prevents the water molecules from coming together. Hence, water molecules only form a transparent layer. But do not use baby shampoo, toothpaste or shaving cream to clean the eyeglasses.

6.      De-fogging sprays, gels, and waxes are available and could be tried. But avoid the use of anti-fogging products designed for cars or other purposes.

7.      Since the pandemic is not looking like a brief pandemic, one can go for anti-fog lenses for their eyeglasses. 

Anti-fogging agent for eyeglasses [Source: Amazon]

8.      Face mask manufacturers have also come out with some anti-fog face masks that are sold and available online. These could be tried for better vision while wearing a face mask [See photo above in the center].