Today, I will teach you, “What not to do while your head is fully enclosed in a cosplay mask or helmet.”
You may think “Why? This is silly.” Yes it is, but there are people out there who still read instructions to use a light switch and I’d think that was pretty intuitive.
The first, and probably most obvious, thing is never, ever sneeze. Sneezing in an enclosed space produces some nasty unwanted side effects, such as neck strain from trying not to sneeze too violently, and the ears ringing if said sneeze is successfully controlled. Then there is the spray of spittle and other nose foulness sprayed all over the inside of the enclosed space, along with the inability to wipe your nose afterward. If you find yourself in this situation, do not delay – get that thing off quickly as you can to save yourself the clean-up afterward.
The second thing never to do inside an enclosed space headgear is have a coughing fit. Most of the time a small cough is okay, but a full-on coughing fit makes it difficult to breathe. The air in your helmet is not drawn in as fast as if your head was fully exposed, making those exhaled coughs the air you have to breathe until it is displaced with fresh air.
Another interesting adventure while wearing a fully enclosed cosplay mask is when you are unlucky enough to be standing near a con-goer who has yet to discover deodorant. The confined headgear with limited air circulation means you get to smell it in spades for an extended period, even after the two of you have parted ways.
I would also advise that you don’t eat gassy foods before donning your helmet. Remember what I said above? Belching inside your enclosed headgear allows you to smell, and perhaps taste, that food or drink a second time for a few seconds.
Oh and never, ever, ever get sick or, if you will, throw up while wearing that enclosed helmet. I don’t think I even need to expand on this one.
Things you may want to try is to wear some sort of light weight brimless hat, I like my welding cap, to prevent sweat from running down your brow and or into your eyes. Make sure you have some way to get water into your mouth such as a small hole you can insert a straw through drink without having to remove your head gear.
Make sure you have some good ventilation. I normally include a small unseen fan in my build that can bring in fresh air from the outside. This also helps with cooling. Fully enclosed headgear gets warm quickly and if you have lenses for eyes they fog quickly this will keep them clear.
