Understanding the Different Types of Medical Tapes

26 May.,2025

 

Understanding the Different Types of Medical Tapes

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Understanding the Different Types of Medical Tapes

Every year, 6.5 million people are affected by non-healing chronic wounds in the US, with more than $25 billion spent annually.

With increasing health care costs, an aging population, and a sharp rise in diabetes and obesity worldwide, there are mounting concerns about the country’s ability to provide financially responsible wound care while attaining acceptable quality, effectiveness, and equity levels.

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.

Serving US healthcare providers for over 30 years as a leader in the development and manufacturing of medical products, Dukal is set apart by our strengths in global logistics, quality and regulatory product expertise, and healthcare innovation.

As a trusted partner Dukal works tirelessly to produce results using innovative manufacturing and supply chain strategies that benefit your brand and your bottom line. Customers that work with Dukal are able to reduce overall product spend, maintain or improve quality, as well as improve overall fill rate in the categories we provide.

In this article we will cover: ​

  • What are the most common medical tapes?

  • What is medical tape used for?

  • Different Types of Medical Tapes

    • What is paper medical tape?

    • What is cloth medical tape?

    • What is transparent medical tape?

    • What is waterproof medical tape?

    • What is retention medical tape?

  • Common Medical Tape Questions

    • Why would someone need short roll tapes?

    • Does medical tape contain latex?

Selecting the Right Medical Tape

When selecting the correct medical tape, it's essential to understand the patient's skin integrity, along with the tape's intended use and environmental conditions.

Ask yourself:

  • What is the patient's skin integrity? Can it handle a strong adhesive?
     
  • Does the tape need to be conforming? Will it be used with tubing, an IV, or a catheter?
     
  • Will the tape get wet?

What are the most common medical tapes?

  • Cloth
  • Paper
  • Transparent

What is medical tape used for?

Commonly called surgical tapes, medical tapes are used to secure gauze, tubing, or other dressings to the skin.

Different Types of Medical Tapes

What is paper medical tape?

Paper medical tape is a lightweight, microporous option. Recommended for delicate or elderly skin, medical paper tape is gentle on skin and won't harm delicate wounds. 

  • Delicate skin type product, least aggressive tape
  • Easy to tear

View paper medical tapes

What is cloth medical tape?

The standard and most versatile medical tape, cloth medical tape, is a durable option designed for strength. A gentle adhesive cloth tape that will leave minimal residue on the skin, it is also designed for easy tearing, even with gloves. 

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  • Durable cloth tape designed for strength
  • Easy to tear, designed for bilateral tearing without the need of scissors
  • Gentle adhesive will leave minimal residue on skin

View cloth medical tapes

What is transparent medical tape?

A high-quality porous, clear medical tape perforated for added breathability and bi-directional tearing. Transparent medical tape conforms and stretches to accommodate movement making it excellent for IV sites, dressings, and tubing retention. 

  • ·Soft and flexible making it ideal for difficult tape areas
  • Transparent for greater skin visibility
  • Provides light compression without constriction
  • Perforated for improved breathability and allows for bi-directional tearing

View transparent medical tapes

What is waterproof medical tape?

Seen primarily in the industrial safety market and first aid kids, waterproof tape has a more aggressive adhesion while retaining self-tearing properties for easy application.  

  • More aggressive adhesive
  • Self-tearing and easy to apply

View waterproof medical tapes

What is retention medical tape?

Retention tape is a soft and flexible medical tape ideal for difficult-to-tape areas. It provides light compression without constriction and is perforated every two inches for ease of use. The printed grid pattern on the s-curve release liner allows for greater wound reference and monitoring, while allowing simple removal of the liner even when wearing gloves.

View retention medical tapes

Common Medical Tape Questions

Why would someone need short roll tapes?

High-quality tapes in patient-specific, single-use rolls contributes to the safe and sanitary treatment of all patients. The perfect amount of tape for securing dressings, IV sites, or tubing.
 

Does medical tape contain latex?

All Dukal tapes are not made with natural rubber latex.

Related articles 

Removing Surgical Tape: All Your Questions Answered

Removing surgical tape from skin is a part of almost every wound dressing change. Designed to hold dressings and medical devices like catheter tubes securely in place, surgical tape has to have a strong adhesive to ensure it doesn’t fail despite movement, perspiration, or other bodily fluids compromising it.

This means that removing surgical tape can sometimes be a little uncomfortable. Especially when dealing with sensitive skin around a wound or a patient who isn’t feeling 100%, removing surgical tape quickly and painlessly is important. 

If you remove surgical tape adhesive too quickly, this can also cause skin irritations and even take a layer of skin clean off. Getting the technique right is essential to protect the body’s natural healing process and minimise the potential for infection. 

This article looks at how to remove surgical tape and the more common problems that arise.

Alcohol breaks down the glue that some surgical tape uses as an adhesive. Because of this rubbing alcohol can sometimes be used to remove surgical tape. This can be done by either:

  1. Soaking a cotton wool ball in rubbing alcohol and blotting over the top of the tape, then removing the tape using the steps above after waiting a few minutes for the alcohol to break down the adhesive. Note that this will only work if the surgical tape is not water-resistant, such as dressing retention tape and microporous tape.
  2. Soaking a cotton wool ball in rubbing alcohol and, after lifting up one corner of the tape, use the cotton wool ball to swipe alcohol across the tape where it meets the skin, slowly pulling the tape away at the same time using the steps above.

Remember that rubbing alcohol shouldn’t be used on broken skin and some patients are sensitive to alcohol. So take care if you remove surgical tape around a wound using this method.

If using a non-water-resistant tape like dressing retention tape or fabric strapping, soaking the tape in warm water can make removal easier. Doing so softens the glue between the skin and the tape and makes it easier to pull away from the skin. 

If the taped area of the body is an extremity, you could submerge the whole area in water. Otherwise, soak a clean cloth and use it to blot the tape until it’s wet through.

Oil-based solutions can be used to soften surgical tape adhesive and make removal less painful. Any type of oily substance can be used, such as

  • Vaseline
  • Moisturiser
  • Oil (coconut, olive, etc.)

To use this method, lift one corner of the surgical tape in the direction of hair growth and, taking a dab of moisturiser, for example, apply it to the area where the tape and skin meet, gently rubbing it into the seam between the two. As you do this, slowly pull the tape back from the skin, applying more moisturiser as needed.

Once you’ve removed surgical tape, you may notice a sticky, gummy residue left on the skin where some of the adhesive remains. Removing surgical tape residue can be even more tricky as adhesive often won’t wash away just with water. Try one of the following for how to get rid of surgical tape residue.

Rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover on a cotton wool ball can be used to dab and swipe away the residue. If you don’t want to use a substance like this, warm soapy water will soften the adhesive, but it might take a few washes to remove it completely.

How long do you leave surgical tape on if you’ve been sent home from the hospital after surgery? Usually, surgical tape covering an incision stays attached to the body for 3-10 days and will fall off on it’s own, so you don’t need to worry about removing it at a specific time. 

Surgical tape used to hold wound dressings on need only be changed when the dressing itself is changed.

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