The Invisivisor - The Sustainable Answer to Face Masks

The UK’s relationship with face masks has been a difficult learning curve. As something traditionally associated with Asian urban culture, in just under six months our own social landscape has had to embrace the common sight of people wearing face covering PPE. This is the necessary price of fighting the pandemic.

For some, wearing face masks has been an easier transition than for others, but the experience has nonetheless been a national shock to the system. Whether it be out of personal discomfort, wariness of being around people with PPE, or the confusing legislation and science behind face masks, this sudden cultural change has not been easy.

The threat of the virus is still large and, as the country comes increasingly out of lockdown, essential PPE will be at the forefront of the nation’s recovery. But there are ways it can be improved, of which Mannequino has acted on with their Invisivisor.

Super lightweight, adjustable, and reusable, this face shield was designed to allow human interaction to continue, whilst minimising the physical limitations of face masks and without compromising personal safety. And with successful first trials amongst NHS personnel in Cambridgeshire, the Invisivisor has since been taken up by other key workers, as well as by local shops and schools.

But what are the problems of face masks, and how has Invisivisor addressed them?

Protection

There are many health problems associated with face masks, that extend beyond simply not being enough of a preventive barrier. As while face masks do protect the nose and mouth, the rest of your face is still susceptible to droplet transmission. The frequent action of putting your mask on and taking it off can also be dangerous due to your hands being a vector for microbes. Face masks are also very difficult to adequately disinfect and the outer layer can house microbes for a long time, which is a problem if the mask is being continuously reused.

The Invisivisor provides a greater surface area of protection than a mask. The eyes in particular are shielded while no droplets can get through the plastic, which is a far more effective barrier to infection than the usual cloth used in many face masks. The Invisivisor is also much easier to disinfect, as all it needs is to be wiped down with household cleaning products, or to be put in the dishwasher, for which its been tested at a 70°C cycle. Finally, the immersive experience of wearing a Invisivisor, with that extra degree of facial insulation, reinforces the importance of social distancing.

Comfort

A big stumbling block for face masks has been the significant discomfiture experienced when wearing them. By covering the mouth and nose, face masks reduce oxygen intake. The body accommodates for this by breathing more heavily, but this results in a lot of problems. Some people have found they are overheating, struggling for air, or that their glasses keep fogging up from the increased condensation. This is a particular concern for health workers, who must wear face masks most of the day, and who have complained of feeling very uncomfortable whilst doing their job. And pictures of these workers after a long day show the physicals effects of wearing such face masks for prolonged periods, with deep red lines across their faces and pulled ears.

The Invisivisor does not have these disadvantages. Instead, with sufficient air flow allowed from the sides and under the chin, it provides greater ventilation than a face mask, allowing the user to keep cool and breathe without any problems. And rather than having to worry about tightness or size, another common concern with face masks, the Invisivisor is fully adjustable and weighs only 50g. Indeed, it is so lightweight and visually discrete that it is easy to forget that the Invisivisor is there at all.

Communication

The shock of seeing people wear face masks in the United Kingdom has come in large part from peoples’ uneasiness of dealing with other people wearing them. Human interaction is much more enjoyable when both parties can see each other’s whole faces. This is because we find pleasure in reading emotions from facial expression, which makes for a more evocative experience. Face masks, on the other hand, detract
from this by not only preventing this level of interaction, but also by being distracting; as many people have found them intimidating or, at least, strangely novel. And for those who rely on seeing peoples’ mouths for interaction, like deaf people, face masks prevent this completely, and have muffled speech for people without hearing difficulties as well.

Meanwhile, a big advantage of the Invisivisor is the ability to see the user’s entire face, allowing for easier human interaction, which is essential in the coming months as the country looks to restart customer-facing jobs.

Production

Other than the home-made or cheap cloth masks, the high-quality protective face masks are very expensive and time intensive to produce, usually requiring highly specific machinery. Early on in the pandemic were these production bottlenecks witnessed when there was a huge demand for face masks. But the masks themselves are not particularly durable and are also quite difficult to recycle due to the material retaining infectious material.

The Invisivisor meanwhile is made up of inexpensive and highly durable plastic. This means they can be shipped out flat, as well as rolled up and easily put into bags when not needed. They are also fully recyclable and especially designed for both disassembly and to be as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

The experience of using PPE has not been easy in Britain, but as the country increasingly comes out of lockdown, and with the advantages of Invisivisor, providing sustainable personal protection that does not compromise on safety, comfort or communication, the transition need not be so difficult.

Find out more on the Invisivisor website: https://invisivisor.myshopify.com/