Tape Brand Recommendations

I have been using 1" 3M Comfort Paper Tape for mouth taping (I think Comfort is the name. The rest is definitely correct).

It works fairly well, but there is definitely room for improvement.

The main issue at the moment is that it can leak slightly. Basically, I can breath directly through the paper of the tape.

I have tried a few other tapes (2" 3M Blue Masking Tape, 3M Comfort Plastic Tape, 2" Green Painter's Tape) but this seems to be the only one that sticks anywhere near enough to keep a seal through the night.

Even with this tape, it seems to only stick properly if I apply it quite firmly and directly to my lips. If I draw my lips in to avoid taping them directly, the tape doesn't stick.

Any advice or recommendation would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks,
Max

Is hair is affecting the adhesion? If so, would it help to remove hair from the adhesion area with a razor?

I'm using the Nexcare brand, 2 in. There have been no problems, no matter how my lips are positioned. It's available at Walgreens for about $7.50 and at Drug Emporium for about $5.50.

I use 3M Transpore surgical tape 2" wide that I get from an independent pharmacy. I don't think you can find it on the counter at the chains. It is "breathable" and keeps moisture from building up underneath to a great extent. I take 3 strips and tape vertically and then one long strip with the corners folded over (about 1/4") over that. I put chapstick (moisturizing) on my lips before taping. I turn my lips in before applying the tape. I have never had any problems with adhesion and have been able to retape with the same tape when I've had to get up to get a drink. I believe transpore is the same, or similar to, micopore surgical tape. It can be purchased at the chain stores on a dispenser. You can overlap it with good results. Looking for the Transpore is worth it though since it's pretty easy.

Good luck.

I use paper tape all the time. Yes, you can actually exhale thru the tape at times. as you said. I continue to use it BECAUSE of that! There have been occasions where I will get a mouthfull of air and other than to swallow it, yuk... I can exhale it slowly thru my mouth. I consider it a safety valve of sorts. My numbers are good despite this. I have tried some other types of medical tape but would get kind of claustrophobic with those. I feel safe using paper tape.

As said before, to each his own! What works for one won't always work for another.

Johnson&Johnson silk tape. 1" or 2" It is ridged slightly and tears easily to any length and leaves no residue.

I use 3M milipore paper tape from Walgreens. It works very well for me even if I didn't wash my face. The only time I had a problem was early in my pregnancy when I started drooling more temporarily. My only complaint about this tape is it sometimes leaves a residue.

Jen

Anonymous wrote:Johnson&Johnson silk tape. 1" or 2" It is ridged slightly and tears easily to any length and leaves no residue.

Like the unidentified Guest, I also use "silk tape." Johnson & Johnson has sold this product under a variety of names, "Dermicel" and "First Aid Cloth Tape" (either "heavy duty" or "all-purpose").

A "better" product in my opinion was J&J's Dermiform tape - a "woven" tape - which unfortunately has been discontinued. A very nice posting from 2006 is found at viewtopic.php?t=12868 , which provides several alternitave recommendations to Dermiform.

I have been using one of these recommended alternatives, a "silk tape" by Medline. It seems more like a generic Dermicel than like Dermiform. I find that it has a stronger adhesive than the current J&J "silk tapes" and so performs better, and while a bit harder to remove, it comes off easily enough without removing any skin. Residue is rare.

Before bed I shave around my mouth, wash my face with soap to remove oils, allow time to dry, apply a lip-balm (e.g. ChapStik), and then use a strip of 2" wide tape horizontally, extending about 2" beyond my lips. I place the tape so that about 1/2" is above my lips, with the larger remaining width below. Getting a good seal in the area between lips and chin is critical.

Even so, I occasionally find during the night or in the morning that a small area toward my chin has become unglued due to moisture leaking from my mouth. Even such a small tape leak can result in significant air leak, demonstrating clearly to me that it does not take much "lip puffing" (even without any jaw dropping) to sabotage effective XPAP therapy. Overall, my experience with "silk tapes" is positive, but they are not perfect.

Thanks for the replies everyone.

The tape I am using is very similar to what some of you are using. I wish I had the packaging still, but I am pretty sure it is the 3M NexCare Paper Tape that some of you mentioned.

The only difference is I can only find 1". I would have preferred 2" tape so I could do the chapstick trick, but I haven't been able to find it locally with lots of active hunting. I am now used to just sticking it on my lips though, so not a problem.

In regards to my problem with breathing directly through the paper tape, I think some of your posts have clarified the issue for me.

When I use a non-porous tape, it doesn't stick because moisture becomes trapped inside and loosens the adhesive. I would wake up shortly after falling asleep, and find the tape had come off, and my mouth and chin would be covered in condensation.

When I use paper tape, it sticks because the moisture can get out, however, that also causes a small amount of leaking.

I'll look out for some silk cloth tape and give that a try.

I had tried overlapping 2 layers of tape, but maybe I should also try using a few more layers like you, thimarine.


Thanks,
Max

I use 3 inch Nexcare paper tape. If I put it on with my lips loosely together, I find that air leaks through my lips, so what I do is press my lips tightly together when I put the tape on, and the air stays in.