So I am on Day 6, my tummy is covered in tape residue and the majority of the tape is still on my incision sites. I am sticky mess and it itches like heck! I am ok with incision site steristrips not having fallen off yet, but what about the nasty residue everywhere else? You see I am a redhead and they told me several times that redheaded equals bleeder, so they had to over wrap three of my sites that kept bleeding through in recovery. So I have lots of excess tape marks. My arms too as they had a hard time finding a good vein, so they had me taped up both sides, I just want to get rid of this nasty black gross tape residue everywhere, it reminds me a dirty bandaid marks when I was a kid! Just so you know, I have been showering and not scrubbing my belly per the recovery instructions...

Any suggestions?

Edited June 18, 201412 yr by SnohoGal98296

At your first appt with your surgeon, he will give you (or ask for some!) adhesive remover. They come in these little vials you have to snap, and it is a little applicator with a gauze tip. Just keep blotting and it wipes away!

Rubbing alcohol works really well to get that crap off! Drench a paper towel and then rub over areas. It will either rub off or loosen the spots enough to pick off easily. Have fun!

I used rubbing alcohol for mine as well. Nail polish remover works as well, but tends to smell worse.

Baby oil should remove it too.

I agree with Queenie 47. Use some kind of oil. I used sweet almond oil that I use after a shower to help keep my skin soft while it shrinks back into place.

Doctor gave me oil pad things at last appointment. Took the residue right off.

Goo Gone! hahahahaha

just kidding!

Thanks for all the great tips, my post op appt is tomorrow so I will definitely ask about the remover:-D, but if I can't stand it I will try the oil or alcohol tonight!

I used WD-40. Not on my wounds of course but all around them and then washed it off.

Did you really?! lmao

I did. Haha. I use it to remove residue on everything else that's sticky. I figured a quick wipe and then wash it off would be fine as long as I didn't get it on the incision.

Two ways to go about this - rubbing alcohol or baby oil. Rubbing alcohol dries the adhesive up and oil reacts with it to cause it to come off as well. Get yourself some cotton balls and have at it. Both methods have their pros and cons. Oil is messy and stains. Rubbing alcohol dries you out but doesn't stain.

Well, I'll tell ya, I have tried oily and alcohol I am still a mess of sticky blackish residue, whatever my Doc used could pave a freaking road... sigh. ...

I finally got all of the residue off! I sprayed my stomach with an all natural no perfume, body oil several times in one afternoon and then showered and used a facial scrub towel wrapped around one finger to go at the lines without scrubbing my incisions. It worked!