Abstract
Athletes are particularly affected by adhesive-related allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) due to their frequent use of athletic tapes. 1 Patch testing is a crucial first step in identifying culprit allergens. However, finding safe tape alternatives can be challenging, primarily due to a lack of full ingredient disclosure by manufacturers. The objective of this study was to ascertain the specific adhesive ingredient profiles for commercially available athletic tapes in the United States and compile this information into an easily accessible repository for both physicians and patients.
In November 2024, an internet-based search was conducted to compile a list of popular athletic tape manufacturers and their individual tapes available for purchase in the United States. The adhesive ingredient profile for each athletic tape was determined by first reviewing online product listings for any disclosed information. Manufacturer customer service representatives were then contacted, and material safety data sheets (MSDS) or ingredient lists were requested and reviewed. Based on these inquiries, 5 major classes of allergens were identified: acrylates, rubber additives (including rubber-based adhesives and rubber accelerators), colophony/abitol/abietic acid, zinc oxide, and lanolin. If manufacturers did not provide MSDS or ingredient lists upon initial inquiry, customer service representatives were contacted again to confirm the presence or absence of these allergens.
Of the 17 manufacturers contacted, 13 provided sufficient information for inclusion in this study. For each individual athletic tape, the presence or absence of adhesive allergens is listed in Table 1. Rubber additives were the most common allergen declared, used in 42.5% (34/80) of the athletic tapes investigated. Zinc oxide and colophony/abitol/abietic acid were declared less frequently, used in 18.8% (15/80) and 12.5% (10/80) of tapes, respectively. Acrylates were declared in 9 tapes (11.3%), and lanolin was declared in only 2 (2.5%).
Adhesive Ingredient Profiles for Commercially Available Athletic Tapes in the United States
Recent reports suggest that rubber additives are falling out of favor in the production of medical tapes,2,3 being increasingly replaced by acrylates, which were declared in 15/16 medical tapes in a 2020 study. 4 In our investigation, rubber additives were most common, while acrylates were less frequent, suggesting compositional differences between athletic tapes and medical tapes due to performance needs such as adhesion and durability. Colophony derivatives were also declared in a minority of tapes, suggesting that manufacturers may be using these ingredients less frequently. Zinc oxide is a rare allergen and more commonly an irritant, though it was included as it was declared in a fair number of tapes and is patch tested at our institution. Lanolin was identified in only 2 athletic tapes, likely incorporated for its emollient properties, and may be clinically relevant given the overall prevalence of lanolin allergy. 5
Altogether, the results of our study enhance the current understanding of allergens commonly found in athletic tapes and provide improved resources for athletes with adhesive-related ACD. Major limitations include the non-exhaustive evaluation of allergens implicated in adhesive-related ACD, incomplete ingredient disclosure by manufacturers despite repeated inquiries, and the cross-sectional nature of the data.