The lawsuit hints at the tape "rip[ping] off the user’s skin," but a representative for Skims denied the tape in question was produced by the Skims brand.

Skims, the company owned by Kim Kardashian, is being sued after an alleged customer claims the body tape caused damage to her skin. A representative for Skims denied the tape in question was produced by the Skims brand.

The the lawsuit, filed by Noelle Smith on Monday, seeks to recover costs for medical expenses. The filing alleges the Skims’s body tape is “dangerous and unsafe for its intended use,” and caused physical injuries, according to the Blast. There isn’t much detail on the exact nature of the injury, but does include the line that “reasonable careful companies seek to design body tape that don’t rip off the user’s skin.”

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A representative for Skims denied the tape was from the company, instead saying the product was a knock-off purchased on Amazon.

“Upon further review of this specific complaint, we have discovered that the customer purchased what appears to be fake tape from Amazon, who is not an authorized or official retailer of SKIMS products,” the representative told TMZ.

In a video previously posted online, Kardashian walks viewers through how she applies Skims body tape directly to the breasts, useful when wearing clothes that make a bra difficult. In the video the model also removed the tape, saying “it wasn’t painful at all.”

Although it’s not often talked about, Medical adhesive-related skin injury (MARSI) is a fairly common injury, according to Wound Source. It’s also not limited to body tape and can be caused by ostomy pouches, clear film dressings and tube securement devices.

MARSI is typically seen in older adults and young children. As we age, the skin begins to loose its thickness as well as its elasticity and can easily tear from being pulled to hard or from friction — like what happens when you pull off a piece of tape. In very young children, the epidermis is not fully developed, making their skin vulnerable to tearing. Certain medications can also make the skin more susceptible to tearing, such as blood thinners, certain steroids and chemotherapy drugs.

Kardashian has also spoken about using gaffer’s and shipping tape before the developing Skims, saying it would burn and rip her skin.

These injuries typically occur on the topmost layer of the skin, called the stratum corneum, and can appear as a skin tear with a flap (in some extreme circumstances the flap of skin may detach entirely), stripped skin (where the topmost layer is pulled away, leaving a raw section of skin underneath), as a blister, or as macerated skin (when the skin appear pale, moist and wrinkly from being underneath an adhesive for too long.)

Injury doesn’t only occur when the tape is being pulled off, and may also occur if the tape is put on too tightly, according to 3M. If this happens, it will prevent the topmost layer of the skin from moving as the body moves. Over time, this can cause irritation, tears and blisters.

If tape adhesive is too strong it can also be the culprit for injury, which is why Wound Source recommends paper tape over nylon for those at risk of skin tears.

As far as old adages go, this one is fairly common: it’s better to rip off the tape (or Band-Aid) rather than peel it off slowly. One study, where researchers peeled Band-Aids off of 65 willing participants, found participants rated the peel-it-off-slowly method as significantly more painful than just ripping it off.

However, if removing the bandage without damaging the skin is the main concern, neither of these methods is recommended. Instead, soak the tape in water and apply lotion to gently remove the adhesive, writes Kathleen Mahan, Registered Nurse Practitioner from Southwest Florida. If the tape is really stuck on, hop in the shower and use the heat and steam to help get it off. 

Emma Jones is a multimedia editor with Healthing. You can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on Instagram and Twitter @jonesyjourn .

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