Wearing a mask in public is basically the norm these days (or at least, it should be). But let's be real, surgical masks aren't perfect. Namely, they can have a loose fit and allow potentially infected particles to get to your nose and mouth.
Well, dentist Olivia Cuid, MD, has a hack for making surgical masks fit better over your face, and its genius. (BTW: This can work for cloth face masks, too.)
Cuid shared the hack in a TikTok thats already racked up 395,000 views. With a surgical-style mask, the sides of your face are left very exposed to the outside, Cuid points out. So, she recommends this trick:
- Fold your mask in half
- Tie a knot with the ear loops on each side as close as possible to the mask
- Open up your mask
- There will be a little opening on the sides next to the ear loop, so tuck that in underneath the ear loops on each side
- Wear your (better-fitting) mask
In absence of N95s, this might be a good alternative, Cuid says, showing how the mask fits well against her face.
People low-key freaked in the comments. Wait this is so helpful thank you for sharing!! one wrote. What a clever idea, another said. Me and my pea head thank you! someone else chimed in.
Cuids TikTok is already making the rounds. Katie Couric shared it on Instagram , and Kristen Bell reposted it, too.
FWIW: Cuid is a really great online resource for dental health tips and she even throws in some hilarious content here and there. Case in point:
BRB: Gotta go work on some masks... .