Will Silicone Scar Tape Wipe Out Your Wrinkles?

If you’ve seen videos about the wonders of silicone scar tape or cute little stick-on silicone patches that claim to eliminate wrinkles overnight… and you’ve wondered whether this latest wonder-hack is worth a try… It’s a lovely idea. But what does silicone tape actually do—and can it change your skin long-term?

What Silicone Tape Really Does

First, it’s good stuff, silicone scar tape and it is doing two things for the skin.

Medical-grade silicone makes an airtight seal when you stick it on, and that reduces the rate at which water escapes from the skin – which is officially known as trans-epidermal water loss. Keeping the extra moisture in your skin is absolutely what you want for scars, which heal better in a moist environment. As for wrinkles, if those outer layers of the skin are a bit more hydrated, the skin cells will be that bit more plumped up, so your fine lines will look softer for a few hours after you take the tape off.

Also, by holding the skin flat where you’ve stuck the tape or patch on, you can’t scrunch your face up (or crease your décolleté) while you sleep, as you’ve effectively squashed your wrinkles into submission. That means that by the morning, your usual sleep creases will be less obvious – and doing this should also help prevent new sleep lines from forming.

Sounds good, what’s the drawback?

The only drawback is that in terms of benefits, that’s it. No, silicone scar tape won’t ‘remodel your collagen’, at least not in the way that retinoids, lasers, radiofrequency microneedling or injectable biostimulators can. When you stop using the patches, the benefits stop too. I know some silicone patches claim they ‘boost natural collagen’ and I guess you could say that if the skin is better hydrated under the patch, that will help the skin do its job of building collagen, but it’s a bit of a stretch. Also, silicone scar tape won’t help lines on your forehead or around your eyes once your facial muscles start working their usual shift in the morning, and pulling your skin back into its usual creases. Also, they don’t work around the mouth, there’s too much movement going on.

Does the Silicone Scar Tape Harm The Skin?

No, silicone is good stuff and it is generally well-tolerated, which is why it’s recommended for use on scars. If you’re really unlucky or your skin is super-sensitive, perhaps the adhesive might give you a mild irritation, but for most people it’s really not a problem. And it’s almost too obvious to say, but don’t stick tape or patches on broken or irritated skin!

What If I Still Want To Try It?

Choose medical-grade silicone tape or patches, and apply to clean, dry skin (ie don’t put creams or oils underneath) and wear overnight. You don’t want to stretch the skin while applying them. In the morning, peel them off slowly and carefully! (I wear mouth tape at night and know from experience it’s all too easy to give yourself a sudden and painful exfoliation if you rip it off too quickly.)

Will Silicone Patches Fade Age Spots?

No. You’ll do better with brightening serums that have ingredients like Vitamin C, or tweakments that break up pigment like IPL or lasers.

Are Chest Patches Worth It?

Yes, if you’re a side-sleeper, they are great for flattening the kind of sleep creases you get overnight – though it’s a short-term result.

What Really Makes The Difference to Wrinkles?

You know what I’m going to say already, but I’ll say it anyway.

Getting serious about skincare, with daily sunscreen (hands down the most powerful preventative anti-wrinkle product); a retinoid at night for renewing the skin, and vitamin C in the morning for antioxidant support.

And tweakments! Like what? Like… wrinkle-relaxing toxin to soften expression lines, skin boosters or polynucleotides to improve crepey skin, and microneedling or lasers for skin texture and fine lines. Find an expert practitioner to help you work out what would work best for you.