Mask hurts my upper lip

[Fastmarc]

When I bought the mask, I did the thing where I put it against my face and inhaled and the mask stuck to my face...

How I was taught this test is to fit the mask without the strap, do a little inhale and hold (stop inhaling). A mask that fit your face well will just stay put without having to inhale again. These a sure bet for not leaking. Those that fit fairly well will very very slowly start to loosen. With the water pressure, these will usually be good too. Do it with a reg in your mouth too.
As someone mentioned above, the straps do not cause the seal and in fact tightening may cause it to leak. The increasing water pressure outside will keep a properly fitted mask on your face.
Sounds like this mask is not suitable for your face.

 

[VikingDives]

Just a little tip on mask sealing checks. If you lean your head back, so you're looking straight up, and then place the mask on your face and inhale, you're much more likely to find a mask that truly fits. If you get suction, then look straight ahead and see if the mask stays. Less chance that you've pressed too hard and a "no press" seal is much better about showing you correct fit.

 

[bfwolf1]

If you determine that a different mouthpiece would be more comfortable you can bring one with you. All you need is a zip-tie, mouthpiece and a way to remove the mouthpiece that's already on the regulator you'll be using. It can make the difference between comfort and agony - it was a game changer for me. Keep it in mind just in case.

For reference, here's a pic of what I use. It's significantly smaller than a regular mouthpiece.

View attachment 811786

Pardon my ignorance, what's the zip tie for? I've never changed a mouthpiece so am completely ignorant to what's going on.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Most important thing and I mean THE MOST important thing is...

Wait for it.....

You'll never really know how a mask fits without something in your mouth. Preferably a mouthpiece.

 

[Kimela]

Pardon my ignorance, what's the zip tie for? I've never changed a mouthpiece so am completely ignorant to what's going on.

This video will help explain it better than words.

 

[bfwolf1]

This video will help explain it better than words.

Wait, are you telling me that all the regs I've been using all these years have had zip ties holding them on? Lol I had no idea.

 

[Kimela]

Wait, are you telling me that all the regs I've been using all these years have had zip ties holding them on? Lol I had no idea.

If you don't own your own gear there's no reason you'd necessarily have known it. But now you do!

 

[revise]

...But what I dislike most is that the skirt on the bottom of the mask digs into the area between my nose and upper lip...

...Or is there another mask I can buy that's designed to prevent this from happening?

I second the advice about trying on a few. It's surprising how much variability in fit exists between masks that look extremely similar. I just tried on a bunch and found a very noticeable difference in fit between nose and upper lip, with a few being noticeably shorter than others in that area.

I'm not proselytizing for a mask, but the Atomic Frameless 2 advertises having a softer skirt. It's also annoyingly expensive. I've been told (don't know how accurate) the black skirted masks tend to be softer. The softness in the Frameless 2 was noticeable to me when comparing it to similar and often recommended masks such as the Hollis frameless and Dive Gear Express masks. I know some folks swear by them, but they both felt like they had an odd sharp or uncomfortable area in the skirt where they contacted my face near my nose/more towards my cheeks. Just emphasizes the variability in personal fit. I felt a bit princess-and-the-pea about it, but I'm replacing a mask that has been making me crazy for years and figure if there's a fit issue noticeable on the surface then it could be a problem after a long dive.