advice needed re: glasses/hair

[dhellman]

folks, I need your help...I am a relative noob (foil), with a lot of
curly hair...I also wear glasses...I have rec specs, and/but I need a
way to keep my hair out of my face (it's not really long enough for a pony
tail) and keep the glasses in place (those elastic thingies don't really work,
and I'm holding everybody up messing with it, just so I can see),
when I have to take off/put on my mask repeatedly.
anyone use a snood or balaclava?

Any advice would be appreciated!
thanks.

[Dusie]

I just discovered Under Armour head bands, with the grippy stuff on the inside. They work pretty well on my short straight hair, and according to reviews they only work better on curly hair. For glasses... well, I solved the problem by getting contacts. Good luck!

[Gav]

One of those elasticated band things that look like alice bands once they're in should do.

And get different frames for your glasses - I find ones with better defind hooks better than the currently fashionable straight legs.

Or just wear contacts.

[Allen Evans]

I clicked on this hoping to see Gav giving fashion advice...

A

[lindajdunn]

After having long hair and then super-short hair and now growing it back out again, I've found nothing that keeps my hair in place effectively.

What I'm doing now is using multiple rubber bands. Upper hair rubberbanded, next bit of hair rubberbanded to the hair above it and so on and so on.

It looks crazy but it keeps the hair out of my face.

[Morale Officer]

And get different frames for your glasses - I find ones with better defind hooks better than the currently fashionable straight legs.

You could also try different nose pads or just adjusting the nose pads so they grip/sit on the bridge of your nose a little better.

[Purple Fencer]

For the hair issue...a doo-rag could work. I wore a headband (more to keep sweat out of my eyes), although I don't do that any more....more because I don't compete than for any other reason.

Wear whatever works for you to ensure your vision and don't care what anyone else thinks.

As for glasses....I found that the glasses strap DID work for me (the sports strap that can be pulled against the head....not the glorified hang-from-the-neck type). Contacts aren't an option for everyone (they aren't for me)

[jkdjeff]

Contacts, unless you just absolutely can't wear them (or LASIK which I'm currently looking into).

Any solution to fencing with glasses is going to be about minimizing the badness, really; you're going to be fighting slippage, fogging, or both all the time.

If you absolutely have to wear glasses, make sure they are adjusted well and ideally use a smaller frame that puts the lens edges further from your face, so that there's more room for air to flow around them and minimize fogging.

[catwood1]

One other thing you could try is changing the way you put on your mask. The standard "slide it down over your face starting at the back" never worked for me with my glasses. It grabbed my glasses and pulled them down. I instead put my chin in first, then slide the top back over my head.* It actually keeps the hair out of my eyes quite well, because it pushes my hair back, then the padding more or less holds it in place.

Granted, type of mask, and type of padding will change this alot. I use 2 x-changes.


*This is really awkward to describe... :-/

[Purple Fencer]

*This is really awkward to describe... :-/

Not really...I do the same, for the same reason....you described it well.

Taking it off....grab from the top of the mask and pull off that way....the wider upper part of the mask will miss the glasses....if you do the welder's mask bit you'll pull them off.

[Morale Officer]

One other thing you could try is changing the way you put on your mask. The standard "slide it down over your face starting at the back" never worked for me with my glasses. It grabbed my glasses and pulled them down. I instead put my chin in first, then slide the top back over my head.* It actually keeps the hair out of my eyes quite well, because it pushes my hair back, then the padding more or less holds it in place.

Granted, type of mask, and type of padding will change this alot. I use 2 x-changes.


*This is really awkward to describe... :-/

This is how I use to don my mask. Since I got the x-changes, I don't have that problem near as often. I end up seating the contour cup on the back of my head and pulling the mask forward and then down. It usually works, but unfortunately takes 2 hands most of the time and I end up fumbling with my weapon (of course...I really do have all the grace of a large farm animal...), but it seems to work out better than when I had my old AF and BG (and Santelli) masks.

[fatfencer]

People without glasses can do this but alas I cannot. It is the one cool thing I cannot do...

They quickly flick their head and the mask falls down in place, no muss no fuss.

It works best really with an uhlmann/allstar mask.

As for hair/ glasses fogging.

Get an xchange mask. It breathes so much better, please believe me. I know that the economy is bad for everyone but if there was one fencing product out there that is worth it is the LP Xchange.

The coolmax material is great. Keeps you cool. You don't sweat as much or overheat with this mask. Hence, no fogging.

Secondly, I use a wide headband lined with a hand towel to keep what sweat does come from going into my eyes. Just fold the towel in behind the wide headband.

I use croakies but am looking into contacts for fencing. Even if I get them I want some polycarb protection for my eyes. I've gotten used to something covering my eyes.

FF

[jkdjeff]

I still had fogging problems with the X-Change mask. It was better than my old BG, but not completely fog-less.

[JackOfHearts]

You might get some ribbing from some people on here about it, but I find a regular bandanna like you'd pick up from the army surplus store to work pretty well for keeping your hair in check, as well as sweat out of your eyes. That also went a long way to keeping my glasses from fogging up, actually. I've never really had much trouble putting my mask on over them. *shrug*

[Palisadeur]

Get an xchange mask. It breathes so much better, please believe me. I know that the economy is bad for everyone but if there was one fencing product out there that is worth it is the LP Xchange.

I second this - not only for the glasses issue, but improved sound and comfort also.

I still had fogging problems with the X-Change mask. It was better than my old [regular style mask], but not completely fog-less.

This is true too, though i noticed it was only fogging near the end of a long duel when i was getting fairly puffed.
Now I use the fogging as a way of modifying my fencing:

Hard fencing = heavy breathing = fogging
{therefore}
refocus = tactical > energetic fencing = calmer = less fogging.
{thus}
Touche!

pd.

Sorry, I don't do graphs.
.

[I_luv_saber]

As for glasses, these should do the trick for keeping them on your head. They did for me, anyway.

Regarding fogging, simply wet a bar of soap and rub it on your glasses, all over the lenses coating both sides. Buff out the soap with a soft cloth, and you shouldn't fog. It's crystal clear. The protective layer will wash off with water. Simple, and works wonders for me when I fence or have to cycle in cold weather.

[Inquartata]

1) Hair net.

2) Croakies.

[JackOfHearts]

1) Hair net.

2) Croakies.

Achk! Dude! I just got a flashback to my 6th grade lunch lady. X_X Not cool!

[Palisadeur]

I dunno, kinda cool in a retro way.

...and if you want to bring up cool fashion in sport - how about your champion snowboarder flashing his undies on a globally televised half-pipe run at Vancouver?!?!??!!?!??!?!

[EldRick]

Haircut?