What do you do for those little knicks and cuts?

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I see by your photos and videos that like me, most of you also suffer from the occasional nick or cut visited upon you by the various knife-sharpening gods, while attempting to keep your attention. I wanted to share something that I’ve found to be quite effective in healing those wounds quickly.

Band-aid (run by Johnson & Johnson) has a product that they’ve been trying on the market. It’s a small band-aid which looks a little like a sanitary napkin with wings. The principle is to seal the wound off from the world and to let the healing properties of the band-aid do the work.

Yes, the band-aid has a border surrounding the absorbent pad and this border is meant to completely encapsulate the wound, protecting it from the environment. The absorbent pad is touted as having “advanced healing” properties and my experience would support that claim.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=activ-flex%2Fbandages

Unfortunately, J&J has not marketed a larger version of this band-aid in the country, Perhaps a manufacturing problem. I continue to monitor their progress.

Edit: I see a product listed as a large size now, but the name is different, so I can’t be sure that it’s actually the same thing in a larger size. I’ve ordered some and will let you know the results.

Before applying the band-aid, you scrub the area thoroughly with soap and water, ensure that the wound has stopped bleeding and wipe the area carefully with alcohol. The alcohol is instrumental in promoting a sound attachment of the adhesive by removing all traces of oil which might interfere with the formation of a good seal. You leave the band-aid on for at least a few days - it will survive multiple showers if attached securely. Like steri-strips, you can wear them until they fall off. They’re quite comfortable, even on finger tips and knuckles. As time progresses, you’ll see that the absorbent pad which was very thin before application, is now quite thick as it absorbs liquids which are produced during the healing process

When removing the band-aid, you’ll notice that the entire absorbent pad area seems to have attached itself lightly to the wound and the surrounding area. You’ll also note that the wound has progressed nicely (with no scab) and will dry out and heal quite rapidly. I usually get very good results after three days.

Try it. You’ll like it.

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The large version of these Band-Aids is, as I suspected, not available in the US. I was able to order some on Amazon, but the supplier is in Australia. Pricey with the shipping, but if you read the reviews, you’ll understand why I’m so hyped up about it.

I had read a couple of years ago that J&J was only selling the large size in Europe. Maybe fearful of the same thing (law suits) that crashed Rely Tampons. They worked so good that young women left them in too long, resulting in toxic shock syndrome. P&G never went back to the tampon market.

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That’s super cool Tom! I think i will get some!

Lately I have been using super glue… it works amazingly and it’s waterproof and I don’t have to worry about a bandaid coming off while I’m working in the shop =) But that’s neat gonna have to try it!

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Liquid bandage spray. Brands: New-skin, 3M Nexcare, Banda-Sil, Natural seal On-the-Go, Curad Seal, Skin shield, Liquid skin.

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Yeah, I think that for those small, scalpel-like cuts, the quickest way to close 'em up is with one of the “super glue” type products. I’ve been working a lot on the belt, disc and drum sanders, so most of my cuts are small, but deep abrasions. Since I take anti-coagulants and am mildly diabetic, I heal slowly. These Band-aids effectively seal the wound from the outside world. I don’t know what they put in them to promote fast healing, but it works much better than the similar NexCare bandages

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Tom,

3M makes a bandage labeled Nexcare: http://www.amazon.com/Nexcare-Waterproof-Assorted-50-Count-Packages/dp/B001CBDLX4 that is similar to what you are describing; Walmart may carry them also. They work OK if the skin is dry when applied and they do keep out the dirt and water. Also Neosporum ointment helps healing. I’ve discovered in my old age that the newer band-aid adhesive can remove my thinning skin; getting old is a bummer, but it beats the alternative! For serious injuries I use plain gauze and micropore tape (sometimes called paper tape).

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Hi Gregg:

By my experience, the Nexcare bandage is nowhere near as good in promoting healing as the Activ-Flex Band-Aid. Also, the Activ-flex, when left on for at least two days, does no tear at the skin when pulled off. It has a very gentle adhesive, but the total coverage makes it effective. You have to pick at the edge to start the removal process. Prepping the area (I use isopropyl alcohol) ensures that the seal is good - so good that it will stand up to showers and hand-washing. Please try it. I am 71 and have the same concerns about thin skin.

Tom

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Hi Guys…

So I’ve received the packs of the Band-Aid Activ-Flex in the large size, which I ordered from Australia thru Amazon. Still not sure why J&J doesn’t market this size in the US. Maybe something about their claims on the packaging and the FDA here in the states. They call it “Hydrocolloid Technology”, which “Acts like an instant scab.” However it works, it sure is different from any band-aid I’ve ever worn. Here’s a pic:

https://tcmeyer.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-PfX9Bgp

 

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I gotta get some of these!

On a side note, I do use this tape to hold gauze or bandaids on… Some of the best most durable stuff I’ve found!! It is amazing

 

 

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I’ve been following this topic with some interest, because since my kitchen knives are wickedly sharp, I also have plasters in my kitchen, not just in my batchroom.

I even didn’t know hydrocolloid plaster existed. Well, that’s not entirely accurate, since I’ve been using thick hydrocolloid plasters (with a gel cushion) to prevent scrape wounds or even blasters on my feet for a few years now (this stuff). They work really well.

I did some googling and found that the major advantages of these plasters are that they do don’t let bacteria pass and do not let liquid pass. At least, that’s the impression I got. And I got the impression these plasters work better for superficial wounds than for the type of deep but clean cuts which you might get when you accidentally cut yourself with a sharp knife. But that’s only my impression, I didn’t find a clear description of the advantages of this type of plaster.

So my question is: how well does this type of plaster work compared to “normal” plasters in your experience? And are they better suited for particular types of wounds than for others?

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I’m up for ordering some but am curious, what is the difference in size between the regular and large sizes?

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Hi Mark:

You are correct that the main differences are that the bandage (plaster?) provides a 360 degree seal around the wound; keeping out bacteria and moisture. Before applying the bandage, you clean/disinfect the wound as well as you can, then clear all traces of oil from the perimeter with alcohol. The bandage seems to actually become part of the wound, replacing the scab with a soft, sticky substance which extends out to the edges of the bandage. When the bandage is removed after 3 days or so, it leaves a clean, nearly healed wound which seems to finish the healing process quite well from then on. The adhesive seems not to be particularly aggressive, as it is seemingly replaced by the “sticky” substance.

I’ve used the bandages maybe six or seven times now and the effectiveness seems limited by the diligence you put into cleaning the wound area. I’ve had a few fail on me, but they seem to be my fault in not cleaning the area well enough or not removing hairs from the perimeter. Anything that can interfere with the seal defeats the purpose.

I think you are correct in that the bandage would work better on abrasions than on deep wounds such as sharp knife cuts. Clean cuts are probably better served by simple closures.

I haven’t yet used the large ones, but looking at one with a back-light shows that it’s maybe about three times as big as the “regular” size. I’ll try to get some comparative measurements and post them in the next day or so. Again, the regular size you can find at your local Walgreens. The large size seems only to be available overseas.

If any of the readers of this thread think I’m somehow tooting Johnson & Johnson’s horn, think again. I worked with them on a few projects back in the '80s and wasn’t particularly enamored by their cooperative attitudes, especially their Quebecois. This is just a case where I see a product which is a huge step forward in the field and want to share it with you.

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I ordered some of the regular sized ones, thanks for this I have been getting several cuts making some seriously Wicked Edges

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That’s been my experience.

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Here’s a pic of the two different sizes; regular and large. The outline you see more or less centered in the bandage is the area you’d normally choose to cover the wound. My experience is that you could cover a wound slightly larger in size. The small divisions are 0.100 inches, or 2.54 mm.

https://tcmeyer.smugmug.com/My-First-Gallery/i-jXWB7xz/0/S/Reg%20%26%20Lrg%20Band-aid-S.jpg

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Super cool!

And for any of you that has an FSA account, you can use that money for Baindaids, first aid kits etc..

I am going to get some to try out also.

Thanks!

-Eric

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Here’s a site that explains how these hydrocolloid bandages work:

http://www.explainthatstuff.com/blisterplaster.html

What’s described seems to be exactly what I’ve experienced, except that I have removed them earlier than suggested without problem. They say to leave them on until they want to fall off on their own - as much as a week. I’ve never had to go beyond 3 days, before the seal is compromized after several showers.