model cannot breath through nose

[Squilly13]

hello all, I am new to this forum and fairly green to casting and sculpting though I do fancy myself as a fabricator. My dilemma is my wife has some photo shoots coming up that will require some prosthetic pieces and she can't breathe through her nose. Any tips or ideas would be greatly appreciated and I will definitely be posting pics as soon as we start this project.

Thank you!
Squilly

 

[ahoudini]

Let me clarify the question a little: is the concern that she can't have a life cast made of her head because she can't breathe through her nose and so can't go through the lifecasting process, or that she can't wear prosthetics because she can't breathe through her nose?

Can I ask why she can't breathe through her nose? (I'm a plastic surgeon and I might be able to suggest some simple remedies if it is a medical thing, for example).


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[Squilly13]

yes, she feels that she can't sit through the process. Her nasal passages are VERY small and she doesn't get much if any airflow through them. I was thinking of making an oral airway that would be flat enough to not compromise the casting of the mouth.

 

[RevolutionZ]

That idea should work. and you could always leave the nostrils uncovered also, along with the mouthpiece. If having her mouth slightly open (very slightly) does not affect the overall prosthetic (which i dont see why it would) you should do whatever you can do to allow her to be as comfortable as possible. She could also mentally prepare by using such instruments while sitting down pretending she was under the lifecast days beforehand, that way she could hone in her breathing rythm and get a feel for how it will be under the life-casting process.

 

[Koipond]

Test you breathing setup by having her sit/lay with the tube in her mouth then wrap her head with a wrung out damp towel(s). It'll be wet, weird and suffocating.. just like a real thing but a million times easier to get out of if she freaks out and will get her use to feeling

 

[ahoudini]

All excellent advice.

Must her entire head be cast? For example, brows and nose could be cast, alone, if the prosthetics will only cover those parts. Likewise chin, alone.


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[NorCalprops]

I wonder if one needs a perscription to get a oxygen tank and nostil tubes?

 

[ahoudini]

Won't help if she can't breathe through her nose!

 

[booksandcorsets]

When I did my cast, I breathed through straws in my mouth. It slightly deforms the lower lip but it works just fine for casting purposes.

 

[Nefthys]

As BooksandCorsets said, straws in the mouth work with limited alteration to the lips. I also can hardly breath through my nose (it's been broken too often and the air ways are messed up) but I've had 4 face and/or head casts done already. I put a straw in my mouth and it is usually fine. The last face cast I did, we did put straws in my nose and I managed to get through the process without suffocating. However my friend kept making jokes so I have a slight smirk on my face cast now. The best thing to do is leave the mouth area till the very last so that she can breath normally for the main duration of the cast. That way she only has to breath through a straw for the last little bit. As others have suggested, if she has never done a face cast before, practice with damp towels first to get the feel of it. Also have a safety "signal" she can give with her hands if she needs the mask off ASAP.

 

[kibosh]

I have bad nasal polyps (and allergies, asthma, etc. ) that make breathing through my nose difficult at best if untreated. After a round of steroids, and daily Nasonex nasal spray, I can happily say I'm breathing better through my nose than ever before in my life.

 

[Squilly13]

thank you all soooo much! This is all great advice. I think we'll start with the towel for now and some breathing exercises. I have access to airways, both oral and nasal but I don't know how thrilled she would be to have either used... haha!

 

[Squilly13]

also, if anyone could point me in the right direction of some cost effective (I understand that you get what you pay for) materials I would be stoked!

 

[XBlackLight]

Although I've never done a life-cast, from what I've read the 'detail' is given by an alginate mixture (seen at one of my local craft stores for about £25 a kilo - ymmv with prices in your area), followed by modroc / plaster-of-paris bandages to create a mother-mould support structure for the alginate.