Beauty taping in aesthetic and body-shaping practice: A scoping review protocol

Background: Beauty taping, including facial and body taping for cosmetic or body-shaping purposes, has rapidly expanded in aesthetic, wellness, and fitness settings. However, current practice appears to be largely driven by commercial claims rather than systematically synthesized evidence. Building on a concept paper presented at ICSMB 2026, this scoping review aims to map the existing literature on beauty taping, clarify terminology, and contrast claimed mechanisms and effects with available empirical data. Objective: To systematically identify and describe studies and practice-oriented sources on beauty and body-shaping taping, focusing on (1) populations and settings where taping is used for aesthetic or contouring purposes, (2) terminology and conceptual frameworks, (3) claimed mechanisms and measured outcomes, (4) safety reporting, and (5) education and training structures. Methods: This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and PRISMA-ScR guidance. We will use a PCC (Population–Concept–Context) framework and pre-specified inclusion/exclusion criteria. Information sources will include biomedical databases (e.g., PubMed) and grey literature (e.g., brand academy manuals, training materials). Two reviewers will independently screen records and chart data using a structured extraction sheet. Results will be summarized using descriptive statistics, evidence maps, and cross-tabulations that reflect five previously identified gaps: terminological chaos, evidence vacuum, boundary blurring between medical and wellness claims, under-reporting of safety, and fragmented education.