Always wanted a nice Myers mask
but just scared me to think the mask is slowly going to rot away.
Anyone have a solid estimate with proper care how long a mask will last ?
5 -10 yrs or more ?
Thanks
TRUE- LATEX COMES FROM A TREE, SO IT’S A VEGETBLE BIPRODUCT…IT WONT LAST FOREVER 
I’ve had some of my own masks for 25 years and are still holding up…not as flexible as they once were, but i still have them.
My store bought masks seem to deterioate quiker
i had a myers mask that ltteraly MELTED away on its stand…the latex liquified 
some of you may have seen in one of my videos, a lifecast of my own face i did 25 years ago-NICK on a STICK…he’s still holding up well enough to make appearances in my videos 
latex does not like-
oils from fingers and face
ecessive heat
direct sunlight
fluorescent lights
being outside for a prolonged time
i protect all my masks with PLASTI-DIP rubberized sealer.
one reason i think my masks have held up better than store bought masks is, i tint my latex with paint-which is a chemical. So , my masks are not 100% vegetable with that chemical addative 
More…if taken care of in the correct manner,we aren’t in the Claytex era anymore, RD-407 etc is pretty durable stuff.
If treated properly they can last longer than you.
For example I have a few of the cheap 86 Don Post Myers masks. I bought them in the mid 90’s, of the two I know the whereabouts of one (that I wore often and never took any pains with) isn’t doing so well and the other (that I didn’t wear more than once or twice and kept stored away) is near mint condition.
The one I wore is yellow, stiff and seen better days. The one I didn’t wear is in very good shape and this mask is from 86 and CHEAP yet it is fine although it is now over two decades old.
I also have a KHDW, these came out in 2002. It is 10 years old and is in excellent shape. No rotting, stiffness, yellowing, etc.
It’s all how you care for them for the most part. There are a few masks that have had issues with clay and such in them but those are older masks. Today’s latex used could easily last you your lifetime if kept out of light, dust, heat, powdered and wiped out when worn, etc. I also recommend putting your most prized pieces inside a nice acrylic case as this helps take care of potential accidents and protects your mask from dust. My main masks are ALL behind these cases!
Thanks I just was scared that a couple years after buying a sweet mask its melting away .
Wonder if these new mask produced myers masks have any additives in the latex like a filler that will make them last longer n
then Masks made by a private artists . SO many nice masks under 200 to choose from as a newbie its crazy . Though seen a super looking myers mask just sell on Ebay for around 600 that was mint . Tried to snag it but was not ready or know enough about it to go that high .
Use a small light very flexible paint brush, dip it in talcum (or baby, the only difference is that baby powder has fragrance in it) powder and powder the inside and outside of the mask regularly (depending on your wishes once a week to once every 3), this helps absorb moisture. You can seal it in a ultraviolet light protective glass or plastic case or store it in a sealed bag (I’ve used the space saver vacuum seal bags as they are heavy duty, seal extremely well, and you can suck excess air out of the bag to further protect it. Stuffing the mask with plastic bags will also keep the air out of the inside of the mask (and let you suck more air out of the bag if you go the vacuum seal route). It you store it in a zip sealed bag you won’t have to powder it regularly as no extra moisture will be getting through, just make sure it’s powdered well before going in.
Will do thanks . This is like buying a pet lol
I try not to think about it as much these days since it takes the fun out of it and I just worry. I,m lucky I don’t wear my masks often at all and keep my masks in perfect fit rubber made tubs. They should be handled with gloves like a merchim pipe really. I think the key is prepping the mask properly in production and I approach all my masks in a almost surgical manner when painting. Like making sure that blank is free from any kind of substance that I don’t want trapped under the paint for the rest of it,s life. I,m very particular though.Is there a rotted mask anywhere that was taken care of like we do these 400 dollar masks anyhow?
If I could throw another variable in…can we get a definitive answer on whether or not a foam head form will harm a latex mask over time?
Foam heads are perfectly safe to display you’re latex masks upon it’s a proven fact,i think a lot of people bought into the idea of masks rotting away on them because of what we witnessed with the Hero on the foam head,that mask was already doomed because of the type latex it was made from and many other factors,the foam head in which it was housed upon had nothing to do with it’s deterioration.
I believe this 2 be true as well. The hero mask was also a sweat pit and thin .
This is a GREAT topic because I for one need some advice on my masks!
May anyone help me with my problem? I have a couple (one or two) masks that have shown slight defects, probably from my light source. My masks are all displayed or stored in a box on a highhhhh shelf, which is relatively close to the lights. While not being pointed by the lights, the masks are still 1 or 2 feet away from the light.
What is the type of room/environment I need to have to store my masks in?
I’d hate to put it in the closet (the coldest, loneliest, place) where no one shall the masks 
Now my S75c and Tony mask have slight defects (latex weakened on the cheek, little dimple shaped-in areas).
SUPER worried about them
What kind of light source ? i would never have my masks displayed 1-2 feet away from any bulb period,that’s just an invite for trouble,just common sense really tells you what is too close and what isnt for general display purposes.just display in a room with a moderate temp,not too cold though as the pulls can go stiff.
Exceptional LED lights, i installed them in all of my display cases and think they’re safe.
very helpful points guys!
Yep, LEDs are perfect! I’ve had an 85 DP The Mask on a styrofoam head since probably 92 -93 and its still in great condition! But it rests in the top of a dark closet and never sees light.
Yep’ Yep James,Styrofoam is fine,my old 05 Maniac was housed on one since 05 and it was still as good as new when i let it go a few months back.
But a vinyl mask can harm the styrofoam head over time, no joke! 
Do you plasti dip the outside and inside of the mask when you do that??
Not to hijack a thread that someone else necro-bumped, but I’ve got an additional question.
I wear my masks maybe 3-4 times per year at the most (never longer than 5 hours cumulatively - being liberal with estimates). I always wipe them out with a damp cloth, dry them with another clean cloth, let them air dry for a few minutes, then re-stuff and put them back on their stands. I don’t powder them every single time, as I’ve read a lot of people saying excessive powdering dries out the latex (my house gets really dry from October-March also). They are all kept in a closed curio cabinet in a dim room. How long should I expect my stuff to last? One mask is a 2010 NAG Nightmare, one is an AM Hunter, and the others are store-bought. Is there anything else I should be doing?
Before i realized the importance of taking care of my masks.I had a Dp Leatherface mask and a 86 Dp Myers mask in bottom of my nightstand. The Leatherface literally melted together! Never seen anything like it.