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Frequent leaks in your disposable diaper? You might be using an incorrect technique.

Are you using the tapes to pull the elastic gathers tight around your legs and/or waistband? Or are you using the tapes to put tension on the elastic or waistband? This is incorrect and will cause your diaper to leak. I used to use the same method and I had regular leaks. I've changed my technique and now I rarely ever have leaks.

I used to get frequent leaks until I learned what I was doing wrong. Most adult diapers have four adhesive or Velcro tabs for fastening. Most also have elastic gathers at the legs and a few elastic waistbands.

Notice that baby diapers have only two tapes? It's difficult or impossible to put tension on or pull the gathers tight on baby diapers. The gathers aren't meant for that, they are meant to increase surface area in contact with the skin.

If you are pulling the gathers tight you are decreasing the amount of surface area in contact with the skin and you are causing gaps in the process. Pulling the gathers tight around the legs causes gaps toward the front of the leg close to where the tapes are applied, this will cause leaks especially for you side sleepers.

HERE IS THE PROPER WAY
The tapes on adult diapers should be applied over the absorbent material, they should point toward their adjacent tapes. i.e. The bottom tape on the right should point directly at the bottom tape on the left. The top tape on the right should point directly at the top tape on the left. Use the tapes to pull the absorbent layer tight against your skin, ignore the gathers. By putting tension at the absorbent area you maximise it's contact with the skin making it harder for the diaper to leak.

When you are done it should be as if the four tapes act as two tapes, just like on a baby diaper. That's why baby diapers only have two tapes, not four, if you were intended to pull the elastic gathers tight there would be four tapes just like in an adult diaper. The reason adult diapers have four tapes is simply because they service a larger area and it's actually cheaper to have four small tapes than two very large tapes.

I found this photo on Wikipedia. It provides a good reference. The tapes are pointing correctly, however notice the tension from the top two tapes is applied above the level of the absorbent material. This might be from the design of the diaper but it is better to have the tension applied below the top of the absorbent material so the absorbent material will create a dam or barrier where the fluid is wicked up from the skin.
The method used in the diaper in this linked photo will work well during the day, when the patient is vertical. However it is likely to cause leaks at the top if the patient is laying down. By applying the tension above the absorbent material a gap is allowed and fluid is likely to flood the top. Since the diaper doesn't have the ability to absorb fluids where the contact is made anything more than a small amount of fluid will likely escape the top, even though it has been pulled tight it is not water tight and over time will stretch creating a gap. Referencing the diaper in the photo: It would be better, esp for males, to pull the diaper toward the front so the top of the absorbent material is above the top tapes.



http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Tena1_jpg.jpg

Good info for those who have leak issues.

The main problem most people have with the tapes being applied incorrectly is because the manufacturer usually shows to point the bottom tapes slightly up and the top tapes slightly down. This works for people with larger hips than their waist size. Everyone else will get leaks.

I have had the worst leaks with cloth-like diapers. Mostly because the cloth-like cover is wicking moisture to the outer clothing. With plastic covered diapers that is much less likely to happen.

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