If you have sensitive skin that gets itchy while wearing TransTape or very irritated after removal, Milk of Magnesia may be for you! There's more than one use for this easy to find product and this is a really good one. Milk of Magnesia provides a thin layer of protection that helps keep your skin safe from the adhesive and can help provide a more comfortable experience for the user.
Hello good citizens!
Are we feeling adventurous today?
I sure hope so!
Today we are going to discuss another technique that may be helpful if you have sensitive or itchy skin.
Milk of Magnesia!
That's right people, no matter the brand, this laxative is here to help alleviate some skin irritation!
But first, always remember to do a test strip prior to your first full application of TransTape to check for any severe allergies, discomfort or pain in general.
Do not skip the test strip step!
Up until the day I wrote this blog post, I had never actually tried this method.
Probably should've tried this sooner, to be honest.
So, together we're going to learn something new!
I watched and followed Aaron's YouTube tutorial on this method on his official channel that you should totally subscribe to!
Why Milk of Magnesia?
Because taking a laxative before applying your TransTape is guaranteed to give you the best application ever.
Not true, that was a lie, I'm absolutely not telling you to take a laxative.
Unless you insist, but it won't help with taping. I can't tell you how to live.
The reason Milk of Magnesia can be really helpful when using TransTape is because it can provide a nice but thin protective layer between your skin and the adhesive.
This can be especially helpful for those of us with sensitive skin or who experience itchiness while we wear our tape.
If you notice any severe itchiness, pain or discomfort while wearing TransTape, please safely remove your tape. This may be a sign of a skin allergy and TransTape may not be right for you.
A little bit of itchiness isn't the end of the world though and it doesn't mean you're forever doomed, either.
Sometimes I get itchy but it's important to try and resist the urge to scratch the tape, which can lead to further irritation and discomfort.
The Milk of Magnesia method coats your skin, which is what can help reduce any annoying itchiness you may be experiencing.
It can also help minimize skin irritation after removal!
Now, let's go to our local drug store to grab a laxative for our skin.
Toilet paper (for do-it-yourself nipple guards, applying and brushing off excess)
Paper Towel (for applying and brushing off excess)
Step 2: Apply the Milk of Magnesia!
Apply your nipple guards then lather that laxative all over!
I'm sorry, I just love bringing up that we're using a laxative to protect our skin.
What a world we live in, am I right?
But actually, really rub that stuff into your skin.
You can apply your nipple guards prior to this step like I did, but I suppose you could also apply the milk of magnesia to your nipples if you're experiencing itchiness there. However, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that and suggest applying some healing salve to your nipples under the guards instead.
When applying, give yourself a decent layer for a barrier but try not to completely bathe in it, you know what I mean?
If you don't want to use your hands like the barbarian of a person that I am, you can also dump a small amount onto a tissue or paper towel to apply it with some class!
After you've thoroughly applied it to your application area, wait for it to dry before moving on to taping.
But if you do happen to dump a full bottle on yourself because you like to imagine being in a music video, no worries.
The excess will be brushed off in a future step.
Step 3: Prepare!
While you wait for your Milk of Magnesia to dry, now is a good time to prep your strips.
And when you're preparing your strips, don't forget to round your corners!
Rounding the corners of your tape may seem like an annoying tiny detail that doesn't make a difference, but it does make a difference.
Rounding your corners looks better, feels better and it'll help prevent your tape from peeling at the corners.
Pointy corners are more likely to catch when we're constantly twisting, turning and brushing our arms against our sides.
And that can result in a shorter application because your tape will slowly peel until you end up having to remove it completely.
But if this does start to happen for any reason, try trimming the part that's peeling up to extend your application just a little bit longer!
WAIT!
Before you continue, make sure the Milk of Magnesia has completely dried on your skin. You cannot apply the TransTape while it is still wet or sticky!
When in doubt, give it another 5 minutes.
Step 4: Brush Away Excess
At this point we're probably lookin' and feelin' chalky.
And that's exactly what we want right now!
After everything dries, you can take a paper towel or piece of toilet paper to brush off any excess.
Feel free to just use your hand to brush it off like I did!
But don't apply too much pressure because we still want to leave a nice thin layer leftover before we apply our tape.
It's not super easy to see in the photo, but you can kind of see some streaks of the Milk of Magnesia. You want just enough of a layer that you can see a little bit, but you don't want a thick, solid layer of it.
After you brush some off, you're ready to move on and start applying!
Step 5: Apply Your Tape!
Now it's time to actually apply your tape.
Like any other application, place about an inch of the tape onto your skin without tension as an anchor and then gently guide your chest tissue to the side with your hand and tape.
Once you have your chest tissue where it needs to be, peel the backing off the rest of your tape and place the last inch of your tape without any tension.
You do not need to apply it in any special way because of the Milk of Magnesia.
Which is a huge bonus, everyone!
That means you only have to add one extra step for more comfortable results!
If this is your first time applying TransTape and you need a more in depth explanation of the application, check out the binding post here!
Milk of Magnesia and Removal
You didn't think I was done talking about this, did you? Never!
Milk of Magnesia helps protect our skin while we're wearing TransTape, but it also helps our skin while we're removing it!
Remember, always use oil when removing TransTape. Using Milk of Magnesia, in no way, replaces the use of oil during the removal process. If you do not use oil for removal, you will damage your skin.
If you need a more in depth explanation of removal, check out this post.
The Milk of Magnesia doesn't necessarily help remove the tape or release the adhesive from your body, though.
But it does protect your skin during the process, so you may notice less irritated and/or raised red skin afterwards.
This is my first time using this method of taping like I mentioned before, so I don't have a ton of experience to base my opinion on.
However, I always have an opinion.
And that's okay, by the way.
Immediately after applying my tape over the Milk of Magnesia, I did notice a difference in how the tape felt on my skin. It felt like I barely even applied it!
In a good way too, it stuck to my skin the same as any other application.
And I could definitely tell that there was a barrier between the adhesive and my skin.
And more importantly, my chest hairs.
Overall, it didn't take much extra time at all to do this and only after a short period I have noticed a positive difference in how my application feels.
And this is me coming back after having worn this application for about 3 days. In these 3 days I have gone skydiving, walked around a festival for 3 hours in the heat, went out to dinner, worked a 12 hour shift and worked out at the gym. Safe to say, this method holds just as well as the original and I have experienced zero discomfort or itchiness during this time.
This method could definitely be a super helpful option for those of us who have sensitive skin or a problem with stopping ourselves from scratching while we're wearing our tape.
That's me, I have that problem. And I'm also guilty of being a little lazy and not wanting to do those extra small steps all the time.
But, sometimes the smallest steps make the biggest impact on our lives.
And that's what makes them worth it.
Until next time,
Stay awesome,
Stay beautiful,
Stay you.
You are loved and it gets better.
Talk to you soon,
Jamie
Welcome to the cool kids club!
My name is Jamie and I'm a young (ish) transman born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York state. I started my transition in May of 2017 and since then, I've made it my mission to live unapologetically as myself and spread awareness through my pursuit of happiness. I am the creator and writer of Spilling T blog, a proud affiliate of TransTape and when I'm not outside with the best dog ever or hanging out with my two cats, I make and sell my own beard care products through Buckaroo's Beard Care. I'm always looking for my next adventure and have been skydiving, road-tripping, hiking in the mountains and even served for a short time in the United States Marine Corps. My life has had its fair share of twists and turns and I hope to use those experiences to create helpful and relatable content that may help someone else navigate a difficult time in life.
Beards, Socials, Tape and Writing
Use code FINALLYME10 and Find Your Freedom with TransTape!
