Has anyone else experience redness/dryness around their incisions? I do not think that I have an infection but it seems like the skin is irritated. I am wondering if it is the tape. Its itchy and a little painful.

Edit: Forgot to mention that I still have the surgical tape over my incisions and I've been instructed to change the dressings from the incision where my drain was. That is where I have the irritation. Its not on the area but around it. Could I be allergic to the adhesive?

It could be from the adhesive. I had the same problem with the tape at the drain site. I'm using a scar cream now and it did heal when I was able to go without the cover on the drain site.

Brenda

Thank you. I do think it is the adhesive on the tape that is causing a reaction. I was inspecting my skin in the mirror and the pattern follows that of the tape.

I'm allergic to latex, and bandage adhesives. Benadryl cream works fabulously.

I was allergic to one of the tapes I used when I got home too. I had to wash the area really well using sterile gauze and then switching adhesives. I also used neosporin on the irritated skin (not the incision itself.)

I had a severe reaction to every type of tape/bandage I used. I had a dressing longer than some because I came home with a drain for 1 1/2 weeks, and inspite of my trying to move the dressing/tape each day, the skin was breaking down. By the time I was able to stop using dressings to cover the drain wound, I had raw spots all over my abdomen where the skin was just gone because of the tape. I used a lot of polysporin to prevent infections and tried to keep any old adhesive cleaned off my skin. I have heard that there is a hypo-allergenic paper surgical tape (Micropore) made by 3m. If I had know how much trouble I was going to have in the long-run, I would have tried it immediately.

I have heard that there is a hypo-allergenic paper surgical tape (Micropore) made by 3m. If I had know how much trouble I was going to have in the long-run, I would have tried it immediately.

Thanks. I'll look the hypo-allergenic tape. :tongue_smilie:

My skin is just irritated all around from the tape I use now. Some of the areas are drying up as well and that causes itching. The redness is the painful part. Its tolerable but enough to notice. More like a sting.

my incisions were glued on so they were itchy...i put band aid over the area and after i took off band aid the skin was tender and crazy itchy...i think the solutions they put on there during surgery and all irritates our skin. I put a bit of cortizone cream. cortaid on it and it felt soooo much better...in a day the redness was gone and no more itching....good luck...i don't think it 's an allergy it's just our skin is sensitive...seaview

The super soft paper tape is now my "go to" tape for bandaging.

It sounds like an allergy to the adhesive - I get the same way if I put a band-aid on my stomach even though band-aids don't bother me on other places on my body! I think because the tummy skin is white, unexposed to sun, etc... it's more sensitive. They do make tapes for sensitive skin, maybe ask at the pharmacy and switch out the adhesive. Ask your doctor if you're not sure!

I too was sensitive to bandages. I used regular sized bandages so that I could turn them at every change...even to odd angles so that I would not put adhesive on the same skin area 2 days in a row.

Thanks everyone. The skin all around is still irritated. Seems to be drying out so now it is itchy. I switched to paper tape and that makes a huge difference. It was starting to hurt with the regular tape already. It was sticking to my skin hard and leaving me red. I am going to apply some neosporin on the irritated parts (not near the incisions) to see if that helps healing. Don't want to end up with marks either.