For those with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome & Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (as well as sensitive skin)
I’ve been on the fence about this tape for a couple years because regular kt tape is often not enough support. But between my allergy to adhesives & confusion about which tape would be the right support I had put it off. I also love the ethos of the company & that as a part Indigenous person, the designs were done by Aboriginal artists not just “inspired” by them. It is in my opinion, the coolest looking tape on the market but I digress. I recently found out that my PT uses dynamic tape & had been using it on me all summer. They had stopped using this particular tape when a few of their more conservative clients complained it looked like they had tattoos. (As I said, I love the designs!) Armed with the knowledge I wasn’t allergic to their adhesives I asked my physiotherapist which tape she thought would be best for me of these three & if this one would be too strong for my needs. She works with a number of different zebra patients & agreed the grey/black was the best choice for my needs right now. I have some areas that are particularly unstable & deal with a lot of intractable pain, particularly in my knees, my non dominant side was badly injured a couple years ago from a dislocation that tore both menisci repeatedly as it was healing. So this tape is meant to act more like additional tendons for me in some spots. It’s great & I don’t always need to wear my compression & mechanical braces on top of it depending on what I’m doing. It is on the expensive side but totally worth it so far. People who say it doesn’t stick, I haven’t had that problem yet but I always prep with iso alcohol first to be sure I have no oils on my skin. I find once it is stuck down it is really sticky. It’s pretty hardcore tape. Edit & addendum: It has fantastic support, *much* more than standard kt tape with less give. But after wearing during a cosplay event where I got potsy, too hot & the tape shifted under my costume (a corner got stuck to my leggings at one point without my realizing because I was in pain in too many places & wearing a large skirt over as well plus using my walker to aid my walking) it ended up repositioning itself on the underside/side of my knee on that sensitive thin skin where it pulled repeatedly every time I moved my leg. It ended up not only tearing the skin but causing widespread bruising, including pinpoint hematomas over on my patella on the top side I’ve never had before & creating blisters of lymph that were all around the injured area when I finally noticed the new pain & removed it. So I would advise those with tear prone & sensitive skin to NOT use the heavier two tapes without *first* using tape spray to protect your skin or getting an in person lesson from your physiotherapist on proper application if they are familiar with this particular tape. (I hadn’t done that yet because I got it in between appointments & have since done so which I’ll note below) I’d also recommend being careful when removing the tape early. Water, oil or iso/rubbing alcohol can make it easier if you need to take it off though I wouldn’t use alcohol if your skin is at all damaged. I had one other spot it irritated when I just pulled it off like I do regular KT tape because I was experiencing some sensory overload issues from my pain levels getting too high in too many places while trying to be out in public socializing at a noisy event. (Which had nothing to do with the tape) Overall, still highly recommend & I didn’t react to this adhesive at all which is amazing because I react to a number of KT tapes. Before Dynamic, I could really only use Haruto or OK. (Even OK’s regular tape would make me itch sometimes if I was in an autoimmune flare) But if you have sensitive skin, I would use a barrier spray of some sort to err on the side of caution, it’s been a game changer so far. My pt has also since advised that they think I pulled the tape just a little too much on the spot on my shin where it broke the skin & we barely stretch this tape at all, unlike regular kt tape. I’m currently testing two brands of pre tape skin prep with sample wipes from my pt clinic (Smith & Nephew as well as one by Medline both recommended by my pt) to figure out which brand works best on my skin & haven’t had an issue since with any tears or reactions. The tape is also sticking great, the only place it lifts is if I use it on my dominant cmc joint & thumb instead of linen tape & cover roll. Even with the pre tape, because of hand washing & the way movement is on that spot it will lift at the palm side edge only after about 6-12 hours depending on how careful I am not to use that hand. I also regularly need to tape both knees, my dominant shoulder, my lower lumbar spine & in support of one particularly tricksy rib at my spine. I hope this is helpful for fellow zebras. Read more
