The Best Boob Tapes For When Wearing a Bra Is Too Much

Even if you're a bra-lover, sometimes those don't cut it when you have to wear strapless tops, backless dresses, or anything with a deep v-neck. That's where boob tape comes in. For the uninitiated, boob tape is pretty much what it sounds like: tape used to shape breasts into whatever form you need. 

The adhesive on this tape is strong — as it should be, since boob tape does have the task of defying gravity to hold up busts — so there are some precautions you should take to ensure the adhesive won't damage your skin. 

Meet the Expert

• Erum Ilyas, a board-certified dermatologist based in King of Prussia, PA, and founder of AmberNoon, a clothing line that helps protect skin from UV rays

How to (Safely!) Apply Boob Tape

To start, board-certified dermatologist Erum Ilyas recommends using the tape on clean skin. Ilyas also suggests not using alcohol, toner, or an exfoliator on the chest 24 hours prior to application, because those ingredients can strip the skin and make it more sensitive. She also says that you shouldn't moisturize the area with lotion, because it can make the tape less effective. 

It's important to keep the areola and nipple protected with non-adhesive padding, because the skin is "thinner and far more sensitive than the rest of the breast," she says. There is a variety of products you can use, and you probably have at least one of these lying around your house: Ilyas says cotton rounds, hydrogel pads, or even nursing pads do the trick.

Though boob tape isn't necessarily that difficult to adhere, the removal process is a whole other story. First things first do not — and we repeat, do not — try to rip it off like a bandage, because it can cause unnecessary damage to the skin. (Also, it really hurts.) Instead, Ilyas recommends soaking a cotton ball or swab in body oil, olive oil, or Vaseline and then rubbing it on the end and under the free edge of the tape to loosen the adhesive. You can also soak the tape with warm, soapy water in the shower, which is especially helpful if the tape is difficult to remove.