Adhesives

Information on medical adhesives to attach prostheses/packers

Very few packers and prostheses stay attached with medical adhesive. 

Some are just way too stiff. 
Others are made with materials that are not compatible with medical adhesives. 

The attachment plate doesn’t need to be large, the prosthesis/packer needs to designed to allow for adhesion. 

t2 prostheses are designed to stay attached. For info on t2 prostheses and adhesives see attachment methods

Silicone based medical adhesives* are effected by 

• Sweat (Even if advertised as “not effected by perspiration”, sweat does affect the glue bond.) 
• Weather
• Oil from the skin or from creams
• Current pH level of the skin 

 
Water though, does not - swimming is no problem at all.

  
Note: If your skin is wet or damp when you apply the prosthesis, it will not adhere to the skin.

In the case of high humidity or sweating – be certain to wipe the sky dry before applying the prosthesis (and check for proper adhesion a few minutes later as you may need to re-apply). 

 
^{_{Some people cannot use adhesives}} 
Silicone based medical adhesives work well for most, but not for everyone. When in contact with some peoples skin, medical adhesive becomes “gooey“, and no longer “tacky“. The gooey substance cannot hold the prosthesis, and it get stuck all over the prosthesis and skin.
(This was not public knowledge. I found out, thanks to a prosthecist who took the time to answer all sorts of questions years ago when when I was stuck on issues with materials.) 

For other ways to attach your t2 prosthesis see Attachment Methods.  
 
 

 
Adhesive Recommendations (Silicone based medical adhesives)**

neo Kryolan medical silicone adhesive (made in Germany)
Available online in various countries

Secure Brand Medical Adhesives
Sold online at factor2 in the USA, technovent in the UK and Comesil in Germany.
They have several product names depending on size and concentration. Thick versions are called BT -4xx, and thin versions are called B-4xx.

and maybe:

Walker Extreme Hold
Sold online through wig shops
Thin version:  Walker Liqui Tape
 
Hollister Medical Adhesive 7730 

Production of Hollister has been discontinued as of summer 2022.
You may be able to still find it online or through pharmacists
Changes to product, it is now called “Adapt Hollister Medical Adhesive 7730”. Some people have reported the new version works well, others that it’s not as well as the previous version. 
 

I've been told that this works well (I have not tested them.)
Niells Sil-key silicone adhesive (made in the UK)
Available online in various countries.

Telesis 8 silicone adhesive
Available online in various countries.

 
If you choose a thick adhesive, a few tips

1. Keep the bottles closed tight to avoid evaporation. 
2. Purchase the “thin” version as well. When the glue becomes too thick to easily and evenly spread over the plates, add some of the “thin” to the “thick” to dilute it.
3. For easy opening, wipe a very thin layer of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) around the threads of the bottles. (Contact with oils and grease lessen the effect of the glue. Be sure to never get any Vaseline on the bottles or on the brushes.)
 
 
Solvent / Adhesive Remover

Soap, warm water and a bit of rubbing work best to remove adhesive residue from the skin and hair.

To remove the adhesive build up from the prosthesis plate, you can simply cut it off with scissors when it becomes thick. Use (curve ended) cuticle scissors - they have a rounded tip which makes it easier to cut close without cutting into the plate. 

Some people have found that these products work well

Pro Bond Solvent (B-608-1 from Factor2.com)
Hollister Adhesive Remover 7731

* This is all about silicone based medical adhesives. Water based medical adhesives are not strong enough, and they are water based. Which means they no longer adhere when wet (shower, swim, sweat, high humidity). Water based medical adhesive is compatible with silicone that is not medical grade: you can attach some prosthesis/packers, and a variety of other devices to your skin for short periods of time (usually wigs, props, costumes etc. I don't know how a penis prosthesis or packer could stay attached with water based adhesive. Some companies advertise that there's do, I don't believe them for a second.). 

**  This kind of information is widely available online now, no longer just on this website - I suggest you check further as well as here. Let me know if you find something new that I should include here.