What should you know about facial kinesiology tape?

Kinesiology tape is a stretchy adhesive material that moves with the skin. A physiotherapist may use a small facial application to provide sensory feedback or support a specific movement goal. The effect depends on placement, tension, skin tolerance, and the problem being addressed. Facial tape is not a cosmetic lift, a way to correct facial structure, or proof that a symptom has a particular cause. Read about the material in Kinesiology Tape and the clinical approach in Kinesiology Taping.

Ask a qualified clinician to demonstrate the technique before trying it. Use clean, dry skin and little or no stretch unless instructed otherwise. Keep tape away from the eye, eyelashes, nostrils, and the wet edge of the lips. Patch-test the adhesive, and remove it at once for itching, burning, rash, swelling, or blistering. Peel it back slowly while supporting the skin. Never cover a wound, infection, active dermatitis, or unexplained lump.

Obtain emergency help for sudden facial weakness, speech difficulty, breathing trouble, or swelling of the tongue or throat. Seek prompt assessment for new numbness, vision change, severe headache, facial injury, or rapidly increasing swelling. A rash or pain that persists after tape removal should be reviewed by a clinician.

Ask what the tape is intended to change, whether another approach is safer, where it should be placed, how long it should remain, and how to remove it. Tell the clinician about sensitive skin, adhesive reactions, recent facial procedures, and current symptoms.