Making Sense Of Adhesive Bandages

Have you ever stood in front of a first aid counter and tried to make sense of all the seemingly redundant variations of adhesive bandages?

When do you need a wrap versus the gauze pads versus the roll versus the tape?… A person can get quickly overwhelmed by all the choices.

I’ve been a Registered Nurse for almost 30 years and have used many bandages. Hundreds, if not thousands of bandage dressings have been applied, removed, fashioned, assessed, secured, practiced, and taught by my hands.

I’m here to take the confusion out of your first-aid supplies, starting with adhesive bandages.

This post is all about making sense of adhesive bandages.

Adhesive Bandage Uses

So we start off on the same page, let’s quickly review some basic anatomy. Skin is the body’s biggest organ…  it encapsulates our bodies and internal organs in their entirety. Skin is also our natural barrier against keeping dirt, bacteria, viruses, even ultraviolet radiation from invading our bodies.

Our immune system (white blood cells, lymph nodes, bone marrow, etc…) kicks in to protect the body after germs get in, but it’s the skin, and keeping it maintained closed, which provides the crucial barrier from allowing those germs in to begin with.

Think of our skin like a big glove, or gatekeeper, that works, amongst other things, to keep invaders out… and blood and other vital fluids in. 

An adhesive bandage is a piece of material or other external substance that is used to keep a wound protected when skin intactness has been compromised.

(Images: Finding the right size adhesive bandage to cover open skin)

Simply put, adhesive bandages are used to provide the barrier and compression that skin would normally provide. They can also be used to create pressure to control bleeding and fluid loss, as well as help control pain and swelling from bone or muscle injuries.

Adhesive Bandages

Band-Aid brand bandages are probably the most widely known type of adhesive bandages. These are basically strips of tape made from a flexible fabric or waterproof plastic, that have an absorbent pad adhered to the middle of it. This non-stick pad not only keeps the tape adhesive from sticking to an open wound, allowing it to heal and close on its own, but it also draws moisture away from the wound and provides compression (AKA pressure) to the injury to help control bleeding if needed.  

(Images: Various types of adhesive bandages with built-in absorbent pad)

Bandage Adhesive

A bandage adhesive is like glue which helps tape stick to the skin. It is meant to be applied over intact or closed skin and not meant to go directly over or into wounds.

Since bandage adhesive provides a barrier between the tape and skin, it also helps protect the skin from the continuous application and removal of sticky bandages that can damage skin over time.

(Screenshot image of Bandage Adhesive)

How To Remove Bandage Adhesive From Skin

Adhesive remover specifically made to remove bandage dressings from the skin is readily available online. Personally, I do not waste money on these commercial products because any oily substance will remove a bandage adhesive from the skin. Not all oily substances are hypoallergenic or appropriate for use on the skin, however, which is why there is a market for this.

Tea tree oil isn’t just an aromatherapy essential oil. It is a great natural antiseptic and we literally buy this in big bottles and use it (and/or Colloidal Silver) for everything, including our first aid. Because it’s always on hand, it could be used to help remove bandage adhesive without having to purchase a separate adhesive remover.

(Images: tea tree oil lives on the bathroom counter & in the camper first aid kit)

Liquid Bandage

Not to be confused with bandage adhesive, a liquid bandage (such as New Skin Liquid Bandage) is another glue-like substance for the skin except this is used directly over the skin to seal it closed.

Is Liquid Bandage Safe For Open Wounds?

Yes, a liquid bandage is made to be used over open wounds such as minor scrapes and cuts. It comes as either a spray or with an attached, reusable brush that applies the liquid bandage by gliding it directly over the wound. When it dries 1-3 minutes later, it forms a rubber-like waterproof barrier over the open wound. 

You’ll want to clean your wound first and allow it to completely dry before you seal it shut for two main reasons:

1. If you don’t rid the wound of dirt and germs first, germs multiply, especially in the moist and cozy warm conditions of wound beds. Infection is next.
2. Your application brush is used for the entire bottle, with no way to sanitize it in between uses. Do not put dirt, germs, or blood back in your bottle of liquid bandage only to be spread over the next wound. 🤢

Since I am a nurse, and regularly exposed to blood and body fluids, I have always kept some sort of skin barrier in my purse, readily available throughout the course of a workday. Before commercial liquid bandage products, I kept a fresh tube of Super-Glue (gel works better than liquid to control where it lands on the skin) in my bag to seal cuts or those splits that happen around the fingertips.

Because make no mistake, the use of gloves, even the hospital gloves nurses wear, only serves to keep the yuck off hands. Yes. If you stretch gloves or hold them up to the light, you can see that they are porous… meaning, viruses, and bacteria (so small, we can’t even see) pass right through them. 😳

So, as I said, keeping your skin intact is where it’s at.

Adhesive Bandage Types

Elastic Adhesive Bandage (EAB)

An elastic adhesive bandage, or EAB, is a durable fabric with an adhesive back covering the entire underside. This medical tape is used by athletes and is meant to go directly into intact skin for sports or muscle injuries. It helps keep swelling (and pain) down by providing compression, so be sure to stretch the tape taut as you wrap it. It is not for open wounds or already irritated skin. In fact, the use of a protective or foam wrap underneath the EAB is often used to help protect the skin:

(Images: Examples of EABs and medical tape used in sports taping)

This strapping tape can also be used as a preventative measure to help protect the skin in high friction or vulnerable areas. To learn more about how this medical tape is used by athletes, check out this great resource on Physical Sports First Aid.

Adhesive Elastic Bandage

An adhesive elastic bandage is a stretchy fabric wrap, usually used for larger bandage (gauze) dressings or to secure splints for musculoskeletal injuries such as muscle sprains or broken bones.

These have traditionally required clips that you needed to keep track of in order to secure the wrap in place around an arm, leg, or other equally bendy areas of the body.

These elastic wraps are now widely available with a no-fuss velcro closure and are a must-have in every first aid kit because of their versatility. If you want to know more about these indispensable wraps, see my post on the Types Of Medical Tape That Belong In Every First Aid Kit.

(Images: Using a velcro-closure elastic bandage wrap to secure a wound dressing… for bleeding injuries, pulling wrap tighter or twisting it to create some bulk over the wound creates more hands-free pressure.)

Self Adhesive Bandage

Another form of self-adhesive bandage is this self-adhering bandage, which sticks to itself, and not the skin. At home, I buy these in bulk and use them interchangeably with elastic bandages for both splinting and holding gauze or wound dressings in place.

No scissors or clips required!

Adhesive Bandage For Dogs

Self-adhesive, or self-adhering, bandages are a perfect wrap for dogs. The very same self-adhesive bandages that should already be in your first aid kit for your humans can also be used on your furry friends too. Since these adhesive bandage rolls stick to themselves and not skin, you do not have to worry about getting this medical tape unstuck from dog fur:

(Images: Self-adhering bandage sticks to itself, making it perfect for dogs)

Conclusion

As you can see, there are multiple types of adhesive bandages that belong in your first aid kits

This post was all about making sense of adhesive bandages.