Has anyone had any adverse reactions to K-tape?

Hello all.

I recently did an owie to my shoulder, which has meant over the last couple of weeks I’ve been taping it up using “kinesio tape” to give it some support, and to restrict/limit movement so my arm doesn’t go too far and cause pain.

Anyway, it’s been fine until this morning.

The first time I used it, I used full strips of tape around the shoulder, starting at the upper arm (deltoid?) and following an arc around to meet at the top of the shoulder. The second time I used one strip cut into two mid-way along following the same arc.

Each time I’ve had a couple of days between with it un-taped. I most recently put some on yesterday using the one strip method, and it was fine; however, in the shower I got a sharp pinching pain at the point the two smaller pieces of tape meet (at the top of my shoulder). It felt most like I was being stung by a bee or a wasp.

I took the tape off in the shower, and now there’s quite a large raised bump, almost like an infected bite, and what looks almost like a scab over the top – sort of like a blister. I presume it’s some kind of reaction to the tape, but I wondered if anyone else had had that sort of thing? It’s now mid-afternoon and it’s still painful and looks like it could be getting larger.

Possibly an allergy to the adhesive. I react like that to Elastoplast etc.

The whole K Tape thing has been debunked anyway.

The whole K Tape thing has been debunked anyway.

Well, the whole “it increases the flow of your lymph nodes” or whatever, yes – but not just using it for athletic support purposes.

Yea, I had the same thing. Looks like a bite or something, but only on one part of the tape. I think it was where it was pulling against the skin creating heat/burn. The following week I didn’t have any problems, but I was a lot more careful with it pulling on my skin.

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Milkie

Yea, I had the same thing. Looks like a bite or something, but only on one part of the tape. I think it was where it was pulling against the skin creating heat/burn.

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That sounds exactly like it – it does look a little like it’s a burn.

That makes sense – it’s exactly where the two strands meet so I wonder whether they were pulling the skin too hard.

Thanks!

Sure it’s not pulled a hair and caused an infected follicle?

I’m allergic to the adhesive.

It gives me an itchy rash rather than a blister though.

I had this too. A kind of small blister.

i only had it where i’d cut the tape across the width, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the adhesive. It’s almost as though there are fibres that irritate the skin when you cut across them?

mrjmt Member
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Sure it’s not pulled a hair and caused an infected follicle?

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Fairly – does look like a burn, rather than that a big spot.

<div>BlobOnAStick
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I had this too. A kind of small blister.

i only had it where i’d cut the tape across the width, so I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the adhesive. It’s almost as though there are fibres that irritate the skin when you cut across them?

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Could be, it was at the trimmed ends of the tape.

Very odd. Going to give it a few days without again to see how I get on.

I get blisters all over my skin. but only around the edge of the tape which must be that the glue+air or something is the trigger. Could be the ends of fibres or the actual tape material itself which the glue protects me from though as above.

Itches like hell for days after I remove it – ended up getting some cream from the docs last time.

I get similar with the tape used to hold wound dressings on too.