Kinesiology Tape is a stretchy tape designed to mimic the skin's elasticity. It helps relieve pain and support joints, muscles, and tendons while your body is in action.
K Tape has rapidly become one of the most used products by anyone, from professional athletes to everyday athletes, to remain active and pain-free.
If you're a regular user or want to learn the best way to apply it on your own, let me walk you through my top tips for making your K Tape stick every time!
1. Apply 30+ Minutes Before Your Workout.
Kinesiology tape is already pretty sticky, but the more time you give it to set to the skin, the better it will stay in place!
Applying your tape early is especially important if you know you'll be getting pretty sweaty. So, I suggest applying your tape to clean (and dry) skin at least 30 minutes before you start your workout to give the glue plenty of time to set.
2. Trim the Edges.
This is probably one of the most important steps to getting your K tape to stick, but most people skip it when they're in a hurry to get moving.
Grab a pair of scissors and trim the edges of the tape to be round. This will help make it less likely for your tape to catch on your clothes, grass, or any equipment you might be in contact with during your workout.
3. Make Sure Skin is Clean and Dry.
Moisturizers, sunscreens, and other oils or balms can stop the glue from sticking, so it's important to make sure your skin is clean and dry before applying your K tape.
Are you wondering if body hair can affect your tape sticking, too? The ideal canvas would be clean, dry, and smooth skin, but removing body hair is not essential to using K tape. (Be careful during removal to avoid an unplanned waxing session!)
4. Don't Touch the Glue.
This might seem obvious, but it's true! Touching the glue causes K tape to lose some of its adhesion due to the residue your hands leave behind once the protective paper covering is removed. For the best tape application, your K tape needs to be as sticky as possible before it's applied!
You can avoid this by tearing the paper backing 2 inches from each end of the tape. This will allow you to easily expose the adhesive side as it's being applied with minimal contact with the glue.
5. Avoid Layering the Tape.
It's always better to apply kinesiology tape directly to skin rather than over another piece of tape if you can avoid it. Most cases of K tape not sticking down are because the ends are being applied to another piece of tape.
There are a few applications where overlapping tape is unavoidable, so whenever it is possible, do your best to apply the ends of the tape strip to your skin for the longest lasting results.
6. Don't Overstretch the Tape.
K tape is really flexible, but you have to go easy on the stretch!
When applying the tape, you should always stick the first end down with no stretch and then apply the remaining tape stretched to 50-75% of its max. If your skin feel irritated or pinched, remove the tape and reapply to avoid redness or blistering at the end of your tape strips.
7. Rub it Down.
Once your tape is beautifully applied using the tips above, the last step is to give it a good rub! The slight heat allows the glue to stick faster and the extra pressure will help lock the strip into the applied areas.
And that's it! Those are all the tips you need to know to get that K Tape stuck down everytime.
If you're still struggling with your k tape application, stop by the Renew Physiotherapy office at your nearest O2 Fitness Clubs location. We'll get you taped up and ready to go!
