No, micropore tape is not waterproof.
It is a surgical tape designed to secure dressings to skin.
It therefore needs to be breathable, this means that it will let water through. While it can handle a small amount of damp without failing, it is not designed to deal with a complete soaking.
Micropore is made from a woven non-elasticated viscose fabric which is coated with acrylic adhesive, this type of tape will absorb water which will eventually cause the adhesive to fail.
It can handle sweat up to a point, if you are exercising intensely and are sweating profusely then micropore tape may struggle to stay attached.
This means you shouldn’t go swimming or take a shower with it on as it will fall off, instead remove the dressing prior to your shower and then reapply a fresh dressing afterward.
You can read more about waterproof tapes that you can use on skin here.
Alternatively, you could use a waterproof bandage or an actual waterproof tape such as Gorilla tape or flex tape to tape a plastic bag or similar over the wound to keep it dry while you wash.
Interested to find out how other types of tape fare against water?
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