For whatever reason today this popped into my mind.  I do not have a beard and do not plan on growing one in the near future (can't with my job anyway).

But it hit me that when I was in the Air Force that I was told that the reason that military men (And some women, I'm kidding) are not allowed to grow beards and even their mustaches are to be kept at a certain size and shape is due to the fact that we all are trained in the use of gas masks in the event of a biological or chemical attack and if you have a beard the rubber of the mask simply cannot conform to the contours of your face and therefore will not get a proper seal (In other words you would die).

So it stands to reason that if you are on a CPAP / BiPAP machine with a full face mask that it probably is not a good idea to have a beard.  Especially since a full face mask has considerably less surface then even the skimpiest gas mask.

Just a bit of advice from someone that is in no way the authority in such things but is still capable of putting two and two together.  And I know that I have seen on here in a little piece from last year about the advice of using the nasal pillows with a beard.  But I am sure that I am not the only one here with a deviated septum and can only comfortably use the full face mask.

Take care of yourselves...