It’s essential to select the proper medical tape whenever you need to take care of a wound.
The keypoint of skin in your decision
As a living, breathing organ, our skin behaves differently from person to person, making selecting the correct medical tape essential to proper care. Understanding skin integrity and the different types of medical tapes available guides healthcare professionals to meet the everyday demands of patients throughout the entire continuum of care.
As medical tape is applied directly to the skin, you need to consider the multi-faceted science of skin management. It is required to be compatible with the way the skin moves, sweats, breathes, stretches, heals, etc, and to be suitable for use on broken and unbroken skin.
There are three kinds of tape to use for this task: 1) Paper Medical Tape, 2) Cloth Medical Tape, and 3) PE Transparent Medical Tape. Here’s how each of those works for addressing various cuts, scrapes, and other abrasions.
When to Use Each Type of Tape
Paper Medical Tape
Paper tape, or non-woven tape, provides ample protection of the wound site whenever there’s a risk of infection. This tape has plenty of self-adhesive to keep it in place, and it’s soft enough to minimize pain and discomfort when changing it. The adhesive has a soft silicone component to hold the tape in place, but without hindering the healing process.
Paper medical tapes features:
1. Gentle on skin: It doesn’t adhere so strongly that it will rip out hair or leave sticky residue. It’s designed to be easily replaced on a daily basis with little to no irritation.
2. Affordable: this medical tape costs several times less than Absolute Waterproof Tape.
3. Sticks to skin: It sticks to skin well, and can stay on fragile skin over the course of several days.
4. Breathable: It is permeable to air and will aerate the skin underneath.
Paper medical tape is not for every application.
1. Not waterproof: It can handle some moisture, but it is not waterproof.
2. Stiff: It does not conform well to irregular parts of the body like in between fingers or toes.
Helpful Facts:
· Comes in .( 2.5, 5, 7.5 or 10cm) x 5 m) rolls
· Not stretchy
· Can be written on in pencil, pen, marker
Uses:
· Daily bandage changes
· Taping sensitive skin
· Labeling (dates, times, product information, etc)
Not Great For:
· Heavy exercise
· Underwater
· Irregular areas of the body
· Covering blisters/chafing
Cloth Medical Tape
Cloth tape often contains self-adhesive material, but it doesn’t stick to skin or hair as tightly as other paper tapes. This is a superior option for comfort and ventilation, a serious concern for many patients. Although you wouldn’t use cloth tape for the most serious wounds (like burns, ulcers, or surgical wounds), it is a fine way to address minor abrasions. Cloth tape also comes in many colorful or fashionable styles that you can coordinate with your clothing.
Cotton cloth medical tape features:
1. Sticks well to skin or cloth: Tapes that don’t stick to hair, also won’t stick to cloth which can be a problem for securing dressings. Applied directly to skin it sticks well enough that it will rip out some, but not all, of your hair when removed.
2. Affordable: Cotton Cloth Medical tape is a similar price per length as compared to the cheapest 3M ones.
3. Breathable: Cloth tape is permeable to air, which promotes better healing for long term wound care.
4. Straight tear: It tears both lengthwise and across in a straight line, so that you can make it the perfect size without scissors.
5. High strength: this medical tape can be used to secure a SAM splint or to splint a broken finger to an unbroken finger. It does take off some of the SAM splint foam when removed, so for long term splinting applications it may be best to use an ACE pressure wrap or similar product instead.
Cotton Cloth medical tape is not for every application.
1. Not waterproof: Although this medical tape can handle some moisture, it is far from waterproof.
2. Stiff: It does not conform well to irregular parts of the body like in between fingers or toes. It also has a hard time flexing as skin loosens and tightens over moving joints.
3. Difficult to tear: It’s more difficult to tear than Medical Transparent tape. The edges of cloth tape sometimes bunch up making it nearly impossible to tear. In that case it either needs to be cut or torn in a different spot.
Helpful facts:
· Comes in (2.5, 5, 7.5, 10 cm) x(5 m) rolls
· Not stretchy
· Can be written on in pencil, pen, marker
Uses:
· Daily bandage changes
· Splinting bone fractures
· Labeling (dates, times, product information, etc)
Not Great For:
· Heavy exercise
· Underwater
· Irregular areas of the body
· Covering blisters/chafing
· Covering flexing joints like knuckles
PE (Polyethylene) Transparent Medical Tape
Transparent tape is the best option if you need to visually monitor the wound condition. PE Surgical Tape is a kind of tape made of PE and medical hypoallergenic adhesive. Breathable with reliable adhesiveness, low sensitization, excellent compliance and no residue glue. It is used in surgical operation, for the fastening of dressing or catheter, and in sports protection, labor protection and industrial packaging as well.
PE transparent medical tape features:
1. Sticks to anything: While it’s specifically designed for medical purposes, it will stick to anything. It needs to be applied dry, but it sticks through sweat, hair, and blood no problem.
2. Waterproof: You can go swimming or take a shower and this medical tape will stay on.
3. Made with pores: It is covered in a grid-like pattern of tiny holes that give it some unique properties. Sweat and body fluid will pass right through it without causing it to come off. Air can reach the skin underneath it. Its pores allow you to tear in a straight line both across and lengthwise in order to customize the width.
4. Easy to tear: Unlike many cloth surgical tapes however, PE transparent medical tape rips easily using your fingers both horizontally and vertically.
5. Strongest adhesive tape for skin: If you need to take it off, you don’t necessarily want the strongest tape, but sometimes the strongest is the best.
Although Transparent tape is useful and versatile, it is not perfect for every application.
1. Leaves residue: 3M Transpore leaves behind a sticky residue around the edges when it is taken off your skin. According to product reviews, Goo Gone or similar products will remove the residue of this medical tape. Left to itself the residue will come off after several days of showering and daily activity.
2. Removal can hurt sensitive skin: Transpore tape can pull out hair or leave residue that will aggravate sensitive skin.
Helpful Facts:
· Comes in .( 2.5, 5, 7.5, or 10cm x5m) rolls
· Not stretchy
· Can be written on with marker
· Cannot be written on with pencil, pen
Uses:
· Securing gauze in place for cuts or burns
· Preventing chafing on your feet, nipples, or the inside of your thighs
· Securing a SAM splint. Upon removal it rips foam off splint
· Butterfly stitch for closing cuts to prevent scarring
· Numerous other non-medical uses
Not Great For:
· Daily bandage changes
· Sensitive skin
BKA Medical Adhesive Tape Converters
At BKA, we are highly experienced in manufacturing and distributing adhesive tapes for the medical industry. After being in the industry for a number of years, we can lean on our expertise to help clients find the perfect adhesive solution for them. Contact us today to see how we can help you.
