Kendall Curasilk Hypoallergenic Cloth Tape

Kendall Curasilk is a hypoallergenic cloth medical tape constructed from rayon acetate — a silk-like synthetic material chosen for its combination of high tensile strength, conformability, and reduced potential for skin irritation. It is designed for patients with sensitive skin who require secure, reliable dressing fixation without the allergic reactions that standard cloth or rubber-based adhesive tapes can cause.

Manufactured by Cardinal Health under the trusted Kendall brand, Curasilk is a clinical standard for securing wound dressings, catheters, and IV tubing where strength and skin gentleness are both required. Pinked edges prevent unraveling, and the tape tears cleanly by hand both lengthwise and across for fast, efficient application. Available in four widths — ½”, 1”, 2”, and 3” — each on a 10-yard roll.

Key Features

• Hypoallergenic construction: Rayon acetate backing minimizes the risk of allergic skin reactions in sensitive patients
• High adhesion: Bonds securely to skin and dressing surfaces for reliable fixation of dressings, catheters, and tubing
• High tensile strength: Rayon acetate construction resists tearing under mechanical stress and body movement
• Pinked edges: Serrated border prevents unraveling during use and storage
• Hand-tearable: Tears easily lengthwise and across without scissors — convenient for fast clinical application
• Conformable: Flexible backing conforms to body contours and curved anatomical surfaces
• White cloth surface: Easy to write on for date, time, and medication labeling
• Four widths available: ½”, 1”, 2”, and 3” to match dressing size and clinical application

Quick Summary

• Product type: Hypoallergenic silk-like cloth fixation tape
• Role: Fixation product — secures dressings, catheters, and IV tubing
• Skin type: Sensitive skin, patients prone to tape reactions, general clinical use
• Waterproof: No — not designed for wet environments; see Kendall Wet-Pruf for waterproof applications
• Latex: Not indicated — rayon acetate construction
• Sterile: No
• Best for: Outpatient, home care, long-term care, hospital, wound clinic

What Is This Product?

Curasilk is a cloth medical tape with a rayon acetate backing — a synthetic fiber that mimics the soft, smooth texture of silk while providing the strength required for clinical dressing fixation. The rayon acetate construction gives the tape its hypoallergenic profile by reducing exposure to the natural rubber and chemical irritants found in some standard cloth tape backings. The pressure-sensitive adhesive layer is formulated to bond reliably to skin and dressing surfaces while remaining gentle enough for patients with sensitive or reactive skin.

The pinked (serrated) edges are a key construction feature — they prevent the tape edge from fraying or unraveling during handling and application, which reduces waste and ensures a clean edge contact with the skin. The tape’s conformability makes it well suited for curved body surfaces including the neck, wrist, elbow, and ankle where rigid tapes tend to lift at the edges.

Indications / Applications

Curasilk tape is indicated for securing:

• Wound dressings of all types on patients with sensitive or reactive skin
• Catheters and IV tubing to the skin surface in inpatient and home infusion settings
• Non-adherent and gauze dressings requiring external fixation tape
• Bulky secondary dressings over primary wound contact layers
• Dressings on curved anatomical locations where conformability is needed
• Any clinical application requiring strong, hypoallergenic tape fixation without waterproof performance

Note: Curasilk is not waterproof. For wound sites requiring moisture-resistant or waterproof dressing fixation, see Kendall Wet-Pruf Waterproof Tape.

How It Works

Curasilk tape functions through a pressure-sensitive adhesive that bonds on contact with the skin or dressing surface when pressed firmly into place. The rayon acetate backing provides the mechanical structure that holds the adhesive layer flat against the skin, distributes tension evenly across the tape width, and resists tearing under the shear forces generated by body movement and dressing weight.

The hypoallergenic performance comes from the rayon acetate material itself — it does not contain natural rubber latex or the chemical sensitizers commonly associated with allergic contact dermatitis from standard cloth tapes. The result is a tape that maintains strong clinical adhesion while significantly reducing the risk of skin reaction in sensitive patients.

Application Instructions

1. Cleanse the wound with an appropriate wound cleanser or sterile saline and allow the periwound skin to dry completely — adhesives do not bond to damp skin
2. Apply the primary dressing per clinical protocol, ensuring adequate overlap onto intact periwound skin
3. Tear Curasilk tape to the required length — the tape tears cleanly by hand both lengthwise and across
4. Apply tape strips across the dressing edges onto the intact periwound skin, pressing firmly along the full length of the strip to ensure complete adhesive contact
5. For catheter or IV tubing securement, loop the tape around the tubing and anchor it to the skin using a chevron or H-taping technique per your facility protocol
6. Label the dressing with application date and time using pen or marker on the white cloth surface if required
7. Monitor the dressing at each clinical visit for lifting edges, periwound skin reactions, or saturation of the underlying dressing

Dressing Change Guidance

Change frequency is determined by the dressing product beneath the tape, wound exudate volume, and clinical assessment — not by the tape itself. Remove Curasilk tape by pulling it back slowly and parallel to the skin surface, pressing gently on the skin just ahead of the tape edge as you peel to minimize adhesive trauma. For patients with very fragile or thin skin where even hypoallergenic tape adhesive may cause irritation, a medical adhesive remover wipe softens the bond before removal. If periwound skin shows signs of irritation or breakdown at the tape margin, reassess tape selection — a silicone tape may be more appropriate.

Why Choose This Product

• Hypoallergenic for sensitive skin: Rayon acetate construction reduces the allergic reaction risk that limits standard cloth tape use in sensitive patients
• Strong and conformable: Combines the fixation strength of cloth tape with the flexibility needed for curved body surfaces
• Trusted Kendall brand: Cardinal Health’s Kendall tape line is among the most widely used in US clinical settings — familiar to nurses, home health aides, and procurement teams
• Fast application: Hand-tearable in both directions and pinked edges prevent fraying — no scissors required
• Versatile: Appropriate for dressing fixation, catheter securement, IV tubing, and general clinical taping needs
• Cost-effective: 10-yard rolls provide sufficient length for multiple applications per roll across home care and clinical settings

Compare Related Products

Looking for a different tape type or a dressing to use with Curasilk? Browse our range:

• All Medical Tapes — waterproof, paper, foam & silicone options
• Non-Adherent Dressings — always require external tape fixation
• Gauze Dressings — packing and secondary dressings requiring fixation
• Foam Dressings — non-adhesive foam requires tape or retention bandage
• Silicone Dressings — for patients where even hypoallergenic tape causes skin damage
• Transparent Film Dressings — alternative fixation for low-exudate wounds
• Wound Cleansers — prepare wound and periwound skin before taping

Call to Action

Support for both home care and healthcare facility ordering is available. Call 1-866-218-0902 for product selection, bulk purchasing, and clinical support.