2020 has been a completely unpredictable and challenging year, causing extreme stress, anxiety and worry for almost everyone. Although there is some hope for 2021 with news of potential COVID vaccines, it is likely that this new normal will continue for some time yet and we will need to keep adapting the way in which we live in order to keep ourselves and those around us safe.
Alongside regular washing or sanitising of hands, an important part of this is wearing a face mask or covering. Face masks act as a barrier, helping to stop respiratory droplets from reaching those around you. Although seen as an inconvenience, (especially if you forget to take your mask out with you), wearing them in public places has become a seemingly normal part of everyday life.
However, whilst face masks and coverings are important for everyone's health, they can cause massive issues for certain groups within society such as those with hearing impairments, anxiety and even children who are learning how to speak and communicate.
In the UK alone, there are around 12 million people living with hearing impairments, many of which use lip reading as an essential way to understand what those around them are saying. Most face masks completely cover the mouth area making it virtually impossible to catch visual cues and therefore communicate with others. This is made worse in noisy environments such as shops, salons, restaurants and hospitals. It is in fact possible that even if you have excellent hearing yourself, you have been in situations where you have found it difficult to understand what someone is saying. Just imagine how difficult it is with those who have hearing problems.
This is a really serious issue as the worry surrounding having to communicate with people can cause anxiety around leaving the house and feelings of isolation. When speaking with a mask on you should therefore try and speak clearly, pronouncing each word. A massive bonus would be if you could use sign language, but if you cannot, body language and hand expressions can help convey what you are trying to say. If you want to go that further step then why not get a clear facemask. These are beneficial as unlike normal face masks that minimise natural communication, the whole mouth area is visible so lips and visual cues can be more easily read.
Our Clear Facemasks
Here at Salonwear we offer a pack of two face masks with clear panels. These are ideal for everyone but especially if you are working in a salon, hairdressers, spa or any other customer facing role as it enables better communication between you and your client.
These masks are made with a copper ion lining resulting in a bacterial filtration of 99%. They also make use of anti-fog technology allowing the window to remain clear throughout use, so expressions are always visible and lips can be read. Moreover, they are washing machine safe so like other reusable face masks they are cost effective and sustainable but with the added benefit of allowing easier communication.
