Thoughts on wearing a mask to conceal your identity at gay sex venues

[NWUSHorny]

This thread 

has me thinking that it might be a good idea to start concealing in case someone is filming where they shouldn't be. To be fair, I have worn cheap plastic masks and attended events that I knew were going to be filmed in the past. So there were quite a few men (and in a couple instances women) masked at these events.

Would the mask help or hurt my ability to hookup and fuck on a regular visit to a sex venue/event?

What kind of mask is better? I'm thinking either a cloth Lone Ranger type mask (like the plastic ones I've used in the past) or a full hood with eye and a mouth opening large enough that my nostrils aren't covered (I still wonder if I would find a full hood too hot).

[Spunkinmyarse]

For us up-and -coming wrinklies, masks also have the great advantage of hiding those tell-tale signs of ageing! They get my vote on that strength alone!

Edited April 14, 2023 by Spunkinmyarse

[ErosWired]

8 hours ago, Spunkinmyarse said:

For us up-and -coming wrinklies, masks also have the great advantage of hiding those tell-tale signs of ageing! They get my vote on that strength alone!

Heh. True, but aging is a whole-body process, and the events in question are the kind where one gets naked. The hands alone are often a tell. Still, I’ve been tempted to mask for this reason, plus the fact that even as a twentysomething I was never one of the Beautiful People.

To the question: A half-mask/eye-mask may have some utility in preventing positive identification, but there are plenty of things it won’t conceal, such as hair color and style, ear shape and definition (not all ears are built the same), nose shape (if not covered), mouth shape and fullness, etc. It may hide crow’s feet around the eyes, but not grey in the hair.

An executioner’s hood - eye mask covering the entire cranium - is a middle ground between eye mask and full hood, but frankly I think It’s difficult to wear one without giving off a ‘dungeon’ vibe.

Similarly, I find that a full hood screams ‘kink’ to most people, and ‘slave’ to some. I have opted against wearing one regularly for fear of putting guys off who fuck vanilla and don’t feel comfortable approaching someone geared up like that.

I’ve worn both eye masks and full hoods, and have crafted both in leather. My recommendation is to not choose leather for a full hood that you’re going to wear for any duration unless it’s part of a set of full leather gear. If you do use leather, make sure it’s been designed with vent holes in the top to allow heat to escape. Otherwise, choose cloth, neoprene, or some material with a little stretch to it that wicks moisture off the skin. Unless you’re a rubber fetishist, do not choose rubber/latex.

The need for adequate nasal eye and nasal holes cannot be overstated. A mask whose eyeholes do not align well with your eyes is an instant annoyance, and you need nose holes generous enough to allow for easy breathing - if you’re focused on drawing breath, you’re not focused on fucking, and your brain is going to set breathing as the priority evert time. Note also that if you choose a mask material that is relatively rigid and it isn’t shaped properly to accommodate your nose, its constant pressing against your nose can be extremely distracting.

About glasses: If you can’t see without your glasses, a mask may not be feasible. Wearing your glasses over any mask will look ridiculous. Wearing glasses beneath a full or half hood is possible, but problematic - your breath is going to fog the lenses, and you won’t be able to take them off to wipe them.

An alternative, of course, is to mask the lower half of the face instead, though this conceals fewer signs of aging. Another alternative to an eye mask: Face paint. I’ve never tried it, but people have painted clothes onto their entire bodies before, so I can see it working.

[austin_submale]

I hate wearing masks, but I can understand not wanting to get recognized.  The other issue is masks interfere with oral activities.

 

[LetsPOZBreed]

Aside from the thread this has referenced, I've thought about doing this anyway.  Have quite a few half-masks and balaclavas in my collection that I want to put to more use.  It does scream "top", though, so I have to pick my battles.

[HoneyBuns1980]

I occasionally do for the anonymity. It’s a turn on!

[Vancrawman]

Years ago, at Steamworks Berkeley, I saw my boss’s boss getting fucked over a railing…i was fairly certain he didn’t see me as he was very nearsighted and wasn’t wearing his glasses…and although he had a hot ass, I didn’t go near as that would have been awkward afterwards for me. But yeah, you never know who you’re going to run into in places…

[leatherpunk16]

I've joked with my boyfriend that he should cover me head to toe in rubber during IML, and parade me around with a leash, and start whoring me out to kinky men. He's not crazy about the idea, but so far, history has shown that people don't want to have sex with me unless they are equally unappealing at these events. I don't know what THAT'S about, but there it is. Some anonymity might be a boon here.

[NWUSHorny]

2 hours ago, ErosWired said:

To the question: A half-mask/eye-mask may have some utility in preventing positive identification, but there are plenty of things it won’t conceal, such as hair color and style, ear shape and definition (not all ears are built the same), nose shape (if not covered), mouth shape and fullness, etc. It may hide crow’s feet around the eyes, but not grey in the hair.

I've thought of the hair color thing, since I have very blonde hair that might be identifiable and I've also been wearing a full beard for several years. I really hadn't thought about concealing crows feet, and I don't have enough white mixed with my blonde to make that an issue yet. I also don't wear glasses when hooking up so don't have to worry about steamed up lenses.

I'm pretty sure I would want to stick with a breathable light weight cloth for either option, and don't want to give off a dungeon fetish vibe which the leather would accentuate.

Also animal/pup masks are becoming somewhat common at the bathhouses here in Portland, even on nights that aren't special events for those particular fetishes.

[hntnhole]

13 hours ago, NWUSHorny said:

What kind of mask is better? I'm thinking either a cloth Lone Ranger type mask (like the plastic ones I've used in the past) or a full hood with eye and a mouth opening large enough that my nostrils aren't covered (I still wonder if I would find a full hood too hot)

I may well be wrong, but my understanding is that the eyes (and maybe the area around them) is what is most identifiable.  The more that's covered of course, the less chance, and a full hood may prove uncomfortable.  I've never investigated, but maybe one of Darlex wouldn't be too hot (temperature-wise, I mean 😉)

[NWUSHorny]

1 hour ago, LetsPOZBreed said:

Aside from the thread this has referenced, I've thought about doing this anyway.  Have quite a few half-masks and balaclavas in my collection that I want to put to more use.  It does scream "top", though, so I have to pick my battles.

Any fetish gear screams stand and model here in Portland, which is why I don't even wear a jock locally.

[NWUSHorny]

12 minutes ago, hntnhole said:

I may well be wrong, but my understanding is that the eyes (and maybe the area around them) is what is most identifiable.  The more that's covered of course, the less chance, and a full hood may prove uncomfortable.  I've never investigated, but maybe one of Darlex wouldn't be too hot (temperature-wise, I mean 😉)

I've read that about concealing the area around the eyes as well, and chose to wear a mask that only concealed that area at a handful of events that I knew were being filmed, I've also checked and I'm not in the background of any shots in the finished product.

 I had to Google Darlexx, but it sounds like the perfect material for the full hood. 

[BBArchangel]

I am a little bit amused by 1/3 of this discussion: whether masks give off a tension vibe, but I guess slings (and other playroom equipment) don’t? YMMV.

[NWUSHorny]

1 hour ago, Vancrawman said:

Years ago, at Steamworks Berkeley, I saw my boss’s boss getting fucked over a railing…i was fairly certain he didn’t see me as he was very nearsighted and wasn’t wearing his glasses…and although he had a hot ass, I didn’t go near as that would have been awkward afterwards for me. But yeah, you never know who you’re going to run into in places…

20 plus years ago at Denver Swim Club, I fucked a guy repeatedly on both Friday and Saturday night, started a new consulting project on Monday morning where he was introduced as the IT Director. I felt a little awkward, but we managed to work well together and never fucked again during the project.

Edited April 14, 2023 by NWUSHorny

[hntnhole]

Darlexx (oops) is what sleepsacks are made of.  The sub is restrained inside the gear, and cannot get out.  I used to allow a bit of an "eye-rest", so they could absorb the full panoply of sensations, but always watched carefully.  Some guys don't react well to being completely immobilized, and the Dom must let them out at once if that happens.