How to Safely Remove Surgical Tape

Surgical tape is designed to stay in place, protecting wounds, stitches and other injuries for an extended period of time. Unfortunately, the tape's tenacity also makes it an ordeal to remove. If you remove surgical tape incorrectly, you can cause pain and irritation to the skin, rip out the hair or even cause physical damage. Although it may prolong the agony, take it slow when removing surgical tape to keep the skin as healthy as possible.

Things You'll Need

• Surgical tape
• Moisturizer
• Adhesive remover

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Instructions

• 1

  Press a small piece of tape down on the corner of the surgical tape. This tape will serve as a handle to start to peel off the rest of the surgical tape.

• 2

  Hold down the skin near the edge of the surgical tape. Slowly and carefully pull the corner back along the surface of the tape towards the outside edge of the body about an inch, using the tab created by the other tape. This will minimize the strain the tape puts on the skin.

• 3

  Rub moisturizer into the skin at the edge where you are peeling the surgical tape back and into the tape there. This will help the tape release from hair and skin. If the tape is not letting go, use medical-grade adhesive remover instead of moisturizer.

• 4

  Continue to slowly peel the tape off, rubbing in more moisturizer and holding the skin down near the edge where it joins the tape until you have removed all of it.