The present invention relates to a breathing mask and a method of making a breathing mask for use in connection with a therapeutic breathing apparatus that allows improved adhesion to the patient&rsquos face to facilitate improved sealing and performance. A need exists in the art for a mask with an adhesive based seal that effectively seals to a patient&rsquos face without inducing undue stress points on the seal or the patient&rsquos skin that can form a seal to a patient&rsquos face while reducing complexity and the need for a variety of straps and harnesses. The present invention is a layered mask construction including a relatively hard attachment shell assembly and a flexible gasket. A first portion of the gasket is performed in a molding or heat press process such that the contours are created within the foam material itself prior to laminating the assembly with the shell. It is an important feature of the present invention that the surface area of the gasket layer be greater than the surface area of the interior of the inner shell. Preferably the surface area of the gasket is at least twice the surface area of the interior shell. More preferably the surface area of the gasket is three times the surface area of the interior shell. This allows a large area of adhesive having a lower adhesion to be employed in a manner that counteracts the uplift force of the therapy pressure.
