can body tape actually “rip off the user’s skin“?
although it’s not often talked about, medical adhesive-related skin injury (marsi) is a fairly common injury, according to
wound source. it’s also not limited to
body tape and can be caused by ostomy pouches, clear film dressings and tube securement devices.
marsi is typically seen in older adults and young children. as we age, the skin begins to l
oose its thickness as well as its elasticity and can easily tear from being pulled to hard or from friction — like what happens when you pull off a piece of tape. in very young children, the epidermis is not fully developed, making their skin vulnerable to tearing. certain medications can also make the skin more susceptible to tearing, such as
blood thinners, certain steroids and chemotherapy drugs.
kardashian has also spoken about using gaffer’s and shipping tape before the developing skims, saying it would burn and rip her skin.
these injuries typically occur on the topmost layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum, and can appear as a skin tear with a flap (in some extreme circumstances the flap of skin may detach entirely), stripped skin (where the topmost layer is pulled away, leaving a raw section of skin underneath), as a blister, or as macerated skin (when the skin appear pale, moist and wrinkly from being underneath an adhesive for too long.)