Adventures in removing RockTape.....
It's been an obscenely long time since I've written any blogs on my own so once again I have to confess that I'm a horrible blogger & say that I promise to do better. The likelihood of that happening is pretty slim so don't get your hopes up on seeing more regular posts from me!
Now, onto today's subject matter! For quite some time, I've been working with kinesio tape, both in my practice as well as on myself personally. If you're not familiar with kinesio tape and it's benefits here's a little info. Kinesio tape can improve posture and performance, delay muscle fatigue, and reduce swelling, pain, or stiffness. It's almost like a miracle worker of sorts and if I hadn't personally tried it myself on my knee, foot, and back, I wouldn't believe all of the hype. There are many different brands of kinesio tape on the market. My favorite is RockTape so from here on out, you'll here me referring to RockTape instead of kinesio tape. RockTape seems to be the best brand, in my opinion, for staying on the skin better. Bonus that it comes in all sorts of neat patterns and colors!
How do I use this, you ask? Depending on the body part that you are applying RockTape to, it can be done yourself. Most of the time, it's much easier to have a helper. For starters, you clean the skin in the area you are applying tape making sure there are no lotions, oils, or soap residue on the skin. The cleaner the skin, the better the RockTape sticks. Measure your tape, cut it, round off the ends of each strip to prevent it from rolling up later, and stick it on. Once the tape is on the skin, you'll want to rub over it to heat up the adhesive on the back. That's it, easy as pie!
So....you're taped up, you've just done an awesome workout and your tape helped you perform better than you ever have and now it's time to take it off. Here's where the fun starts! Anytime I tape someone, I always give them the simple instructions for removing it. It's easier to remove when it's wet so you'll want to take it off in the shower. Gently pull the tape and hold the skin down just behind the tape while you pull. Make sure you pull CAREFULLY as you can so you don't bruise your skin. Sounds simple right? Here's where I switch hats and revert from the massage therapist that applies tape to the 'normal' person wearing it. First off, I'm going to call BS on those removal instructions! If you've never used RockTape, it sticks to the skin (when applied properly) better than something that's been welded together. The tape can stick for up to 7 days and trust me, it definitely feels like it once you start trying to peel it off. This morning's adventure included removing two strips of RockTape from my lower back. I started off properly in the shower and got the tape good and wet before trying to peel it off. The one positive I have working in my favor is that since I'm a girl, I don't have to worry about body hair. You'd think this would make taking the tape off just a tad easier but it doesn't! After deciding that the tape is soaked enough for me to attempt to pull it off, I manage to barely get one corner up. Once I get a bigger piece to pull, I stifle a scream because this stuff doesn't come off easily. Personally, I have to pull, take a deep breath, and then start again. Once I've fought to get all the tape off, I realize that I'm still covered in adhesive. The easiest solution for getting the extra glue off is putting some olive oil on the skin but since I don't have that in the shower I'm currently typing this blog post with my shirt literally stuck to my back. Once again I have to re-iterate how good RockTape sticks to the body! Now that I've shared my true confession of how kinesio tape removal REALLY goes, I'm off to the kitchen to get the olive oil......
Now, onto today's subject matter! For quite some time, I've been working with kinesio tape, both in my practice as well as on myself personally. If you're not familiar with kinesio tape and it's benefits here's a little info. Kinesio tape can improve posture and performance, delay muscle fatigue, and reduce swelling, pain, or stiffness. It's almost like a miracle worker of sorts and if I hadn't personally tried it myself on my knee, foot, and back, I wouldn't believe all of the hype. There are many different brands of kinesio tape on the market. My favorite is RockTape so from here on out, you'll here me referring to RockTape instead of kinesio tape. RockTape seems to be the best brand, in my opinion, for staying on the skin better. Bonus that it comes in all sorts of neat patterns and colors!
How do I use this, you ask? Depending on the body part that you are applying RockTape to, it can be done yourself. Most of the time, it's much easier to have a helper. For starters, you clean the skin in the area you are applying tape making sure there are no lotions, oils, or soap residue on the skin. The cleaner the skin, the better the RockTape sticks. Measure your tape, cut it, round off the ends of each strip to prevent it from rolling up later, and stick it on. Once the tape is on the skin, you'll want to rub over it to heat up the adhesive on the back. That's it, easy as pie!
So....you're taped up, you've just done an awesome workout and your tape helped you perform better than you ever have and now it's time to take it off. Here's where the fun starts! Anytime I tape someone, I always give them the simple instructions for removing it. It's easier to remove when it's wet so you'll want to take it off in the shower. Gently pull the tape and hold the skin down just behind the tape while you pull. Make sure you pull CAREFULLY as you can so you don't bruise your skin. Sounds simple right? Here's where I switch hats and revert from the massage therapist that applies tape to the 'normal' person wearing it. First off, I'm going to call BS on those removal instructions! If you've never used RockTape, it sticks to the skin (when applied properly) better than something that's been welded together. The tape can stick for up to 7 days and trust me, it definitely feels like it once you start trying to peel it off. This morning's adventure included removing two strips of RockTape from my lower back. I started off properly in the shower and got the tape good and wet before trying to peel it off. The one positive I have working in my favor is that since I'm a girl, I don't have to worry about body hair. You'd think this would make taking the tape off just a tad easier but it doesn't! After deciding that the tape is soaked enough for me to attempt to pull it off, I manage to barely get one corner up. Once I get a bigger piece to pull, I stifle a scream because this stuff doesn't come off easily. Personally, I have to pull, take a deep breath, and then start again. Once I've fought to get all the tape off, I realize that I'm still covered in adhesive. The easiest solution for getting the extra glue off is putting some olive oil on the skin but since I don't have that in the shower I'm currently typing this blog post with my shirt literally stuck to my back. Once again I have to re-iterate how good RockTape sticks to the body! Now that I've shared my true confession of how kinesio tape removal REALLY goes, I'm off to the kitchen to get the olive oil......
posted by advhealing at
10:33 AM
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