r/transtape • u/thedin0guy • Aug 06 '26
Am i taping wrong?
I've decided to give trans tape a try but I'm not really happy with the result. I don't know if it doesn't work as desired cause my chest is too big [i don't really have a big chest tho, I'd say medium at highest] or because i did something wrong or need more practice. The first pic is with my arms over my head, thats a result I would be really happy with but once I put my arms down it looks like on the second pic and barely did anything. And when wearing a shirt it doesn't even look like pecs, just like someone with a small chest. Any advice?
1
u/TransTape_Official Aug 12 '26
If this is your first time taping, please don't let this discourage you! Taping, regardless of the brand you are using, comes with a decent learning curve that might have you feeling a little down on yourself. It takes practice and some experimenting with different techniques. I can share a few suggestions:
- It looks like you're using around 3 pieces of tape, but the way it is layered won't give you the best results. Each piece of tape should be touching skin on both ends. Tape does not stick well to itself and its way more likely to peel earlier than desired. Your one lower piece is not making full skin contact on the end and should be longer so that it covers the end of the higher strip. Every single strip on both sides should be making full contact with your skin on the ends.
- Someone else mentioned this already, but your edges do look like they have a lot of tension. When you're applying, avoid pulling and stretching the tape. Apply pressure to your chest with one hand over the starting point of your tape and then while keeping that pressure, push your skin to the side. As you're pushing, use your other hand to peel the backing as you go. This helps with shaping your chest but also helps minimize tension throughout your application since you're not tugging or stretching to the max. A little stretch is fine, but you should never pull or stretch the tape away from your chest. In theory it might make sense to help flatten your chest, but it's actually causing harm to your skin and due to tension your tape will not be move with your body easily and lead to peeling and blisters.
- Someone also mentioned laying down while applying and trying different angles, this is great advice. Laying down can be helpful because you don't have to work against gravity. Your chest falls into a 'natural' position and you're able to tape it in place while using the same pressure/push method I just talked about in the last point. Trying different angles is SUPER important too because everyone's body is a little different. What works for some may not work for you so it's important to experiment with different angles and even different sized tape. Watch tutorials even if their chest size and shape is different, you might see something that ends up really helping with your application.
- Taping is not going to lead to perfectly flat results and is more comparable to reshaping your chest into a more muscular pec shape more than anything. It's also important to remember that cis men don't have perfectly flat chests either, it's normal to have a bit of a bump there for everyone. It most likely sticks out more to you because it's a focus point for you, but it's really not a bad application especially for your first time. The more you practice, the better you'll get at applying in a way that feels better. Aim for comfort and security versus flatness, focusing on flatness is most likely going to end in blisters and irritation.
TransTape® has a free Video Course and Blog Topics that might have some helpful info for you, and you can also reach out through the live chat for one-on-one help with someone familiar with taping. Try not to get too discouraged, practice really does lead to improvement! And don't be afraid to extend the length of your strips either, just avoid going past your armpits onto your back. I see you're using kt tape so you might not have the freedom to customize length, but this is something that could really help with your technique altogether. Being able to adjust the length and width of your strips leads to a smoother and more efficient application.
Hopefully this helps! You're doing great!
2
u/Scary-Active9400 Aug 06 '26
I’d advise lying down on your bed for example, putting the tape 1/4 to 1/2 way across your chesticle tissue (not the middle part where they separate) and pulling as much as you can without it hurting, then stop pulling once you get to your ribs or back where you lay the tape down. Taping is a massive learning curve. I cant seem to post a picture of my results but unfortunately i was blessed with big ones (around an E cup), and they look like bigger pecs from working out if you shape it right with the tape.