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#288718 - 04/17/18 02:58 PM Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant)
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Pardon me while I rant:

Why is the adhesive on bandaids (all brands, not just one) getting worse and worse?

When I apply one to clean, dry skin, it falls off in a few hours. I have to put white tape around it to last the day.

I thought it was just me. But recently I found some old Elastoplast bandaids, sealed in plastic, in the pocket of an old pack -- probably 10 years old. I used it on a nick on my finger. It stayed on for four days, through repeated washing and everything. The ones I bought recently -- same brand -- don't even last half a day.

Does anyone still make a bandaid that stays on?

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#288719 - 04/17/18 03:13 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
Bingley Offline
Veteran

Registered: 02/27/08
Posts: 1576
3M Nexcare Waterproof Bandaids seem to do a pretty good job of staying on.


Edited by Bingley (04/17/18 03:13 PM)

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#288720 - 04/17/18 04:35 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
haertig Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 03/13/05
Posts: 2322
Loc: Colorado
Put some Tincture of Benzoin on your skin under where the bandaids adhesive part will go. Let it dry. Apply bandaid. It will stick much better. Unfortunately, it also turns your skin yellow/brown, which comes off pretty soon though. A bottle lasts a very long time, one bottle may even be a lifetime supply.

https://www.amazon.com/BENZOIN-COMPOUND-...VAKVNDFYEN7YX2J



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#288721 - 04/17/18 04:56 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: Bingley]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
+1 - agree. They stick quite well.
_________________________
Geezer in Chief

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#288722 - 04/17/18 06:50 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
Roarmeister Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 09/12/01
Posts: 960
Loc: Saskatchewan, Canada
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
Pardon me while I rant:

Why is the adhesive on bandaids (all brands, not just one) getting worse and worse?

When I apply one to clean, dry skin, it falls off in a few hours. I have to put white tape around it to last the day.

I thought it was just me. But recently I found some old Elastoplast bandaids, sealed in plastic, in the pocket of an old pack -- probably 10 years old. I used it on a nick on my finger. It stayed on for four days, through repeated washing and everything. The ones I bought recently -- same brand -- don't even last half a day.

Does anyone still make a bandaid that stays on?


That hasn't been my experience. I've taken showers with fabric band-aids on and even after being soaked they were a chore to pull OFF. (I hate the feel of the plastic ones). I rarely go more than 24 hours without changing a band-aid anyway, sometimes 2x a day, so that I can give the wound a few minutes to breathe and for me to examine the tissue. Going 4 days without changing seems like an invitation for bacteria buildup.

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#288724 - 04/17/18 07:45 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
dougwalkabout Offline
Crazy Canuck
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 02/03/07
Posts: 3219
Loc: Alberta, Canada
Hm! You've had better luck than me. Maybe I'm naturally slippery? Politics as a second career? wink

In this case the wound had just healed, but it was on a knuckle and I kept banging it on things -- I knew I would open it again, so I needed cushioning and abrasion protection mostly.


Edited by dougwalkabout (04/17/18 07:46 PM)

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#288726 - 04/17/18 08:59 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Both Band-Aid Flexible Fabric and Tough Strips hold long enough for bacteria to build up wink
_________________________
Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#288727 - 04/17/18 09:06 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
wildman800 Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 11/09/06
Posts: 2846
Loc: La-USA
I’ve not had any problems with bandaids sticking. I prefer cloth bandaids but plastic will do.
_________________________
QMC, USCG (Ret)
The best luck is what you make yourself!

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#288729 - 04/17/18 11:08 PM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
EMPnotImplyNuclear Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/10/08
Posts: 382
Originally Posted By: dougwalkabout
...
When I apply one to clean, dry skin, it falls off in a few hours. I have to put white tape around it to last the day....

Hi,

I learned long ago, as far back as I can remember, unless the bandaid sticks to itself , like a loop around your finger,
the bandaid has no chance of lasting 15 minutes.

What is clean dry skin?

I only learned in the past couple of years, that clean/dry skin means skin sprayed/rubbed with isopropyl rubbing alcohol (50% will do) after being well washed/rubbed with soap and rinsed (once or twice), or after being moisturizing hand sanitizer sanitized.
The rubbing alcohol helps defeat the moisturizer/oils and let the glue stick to dry skin. Inadequate rubbing can defeat rubbing alcohol moisturizer/oils removal properties. A greasy nose might needs two or three soap/rub/hotwater applications plus rubbing alcohol for a bandaid to stick.

Also learned to take skin stretch into account. Apply bandaid when skin isn't at the extremes of stretching, but in between skin stretched as tight as possible, or as loose as possible, closer to tight than to loose. Sometime applying bandaid lengthwise in direction of the bend helps it stay on longer. One or two days is possible.

But,

Going a day or days without changing bandaid on hands seems very suspect.
It gets annoying, but I would change bandaids every time after getting them wet , like washing hands.
I could see changing bandaid once per day,
If you don't use that hand to touch anything in the bathroom,
or dont poop that day,
or use gloves or shower/bidet instead of wiping,
..
or you're using bandaid merely to keep a thick scab /blister/ zit / skin flap from snagging/rubbing open on clothing.


I also used to apply too much antibiotic ointment,
a cotton swab/q-tip comes handy for that,
and bandaids with antibiotic pre-applied also exist.


Don't remember how bandaids were a decade or more ago, but current stickyness seems adequate with rubbing alcohol.

Regardless of the brand,
The stiffer novelty cartoon crinkly (paper or plastic) finger sized bandaids do seem less gooey than more flexy/noncrinkly/cloth(?) types.

Super tiny bandaids always seem under glooed.

Bigger than finger sized bandaids also appear more gooey/sticky than smaller finger bandaids.

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#288736 - 04/18/18 01:38 AM Re: Bandaids That Don't Stick (Rant) [Re: dougwalkabout]
Famdoc Offline
Member

Registered: 04/29/09
Posts: 155
Loc: PA
Agree with the 3M Nexcare recommendation: they stick very well. They are harder to find, more expensive.

Fabric bandages also work almost as well

Almost all first aid kits have the rather poorly sticking plastic bandages. Replace them with either the Nexcare or fabric
bandages before you need them.

There is little/no evidence that applying antibiotic ointment, or using antibiotic impregnated bandages, despite longstanding practice and advertising by Neosporin etc. is of any value at all in reducing wound infections. The major beneficiaries would appear to be the ones who make it and those who sell it. I've stopped using it in our office. There is a small risk of inducing an allergy to neomycin or polymyxin with applying these to a wound. Just use soap, water, and friction to clean the wound, then cover it.

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