Tips&TricksTurn your kitchen mishaps around: The foolproof way to apply a band-aid for it to stay put

Turn your kitchen mishaps around: The foolproof way to apply a band-aid for it to stay put

A bandage on the finger.
A bandage on the finger.
Images source: © Adobe Stock | hakase420

9:26 PM EST, December 17, 2023

Whether you're cutting, peeling, shredding, or chopping during cooking, it's easy to get injured. A cut on the hand requires a bandage, because our hands are constantly in contact with bacteria that can cause an infection in the wound. Unfortunately, band-aids on fingers tend to slide off the skin.

Luckily, there's a method to overcome this. By applying the bandage in a non-standard way, the band-aid will stay put on your finger. This technique is simpler than you might think. Remember this trick, and you'll secure your finger like an experienced nurse.

What should you know about band-aids?

Band-aids are a first-aid staple, regardless of whether you have children or not. A band-aid allows for quick treatment of a wound, eliminating the need for a traditional bandage or gauze. A small gauze pad on the band-aid helps to stem the bleeding and protects the wound from bacteria, microbes, and irritations.

Although a band-aid may seem simple to apply, many of us fail to perform the most important part: disinfecting the wound. Before applying a band-aid, clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide, saline, or a wound disinfection spray. After cleaning, dry the skin, then apply the band-aid.

Prevent the band-aid from sliding off your finger

Fingers are the most frequently injured parts of the body. We tend to cut them while cooking, tinkering, or cleaning. Applying a band-aid to an injured finger is easy, but the bandage often slides off even an hour after application. However, this can be avoided.

After removing the protective paper from the band-aid, take a pair of scissors and make two cuts on the adhesive part on both sides. Place the bandage on the wound and connect the remaining four parts of the band-aid diagonally. A band-aid applied in this manner will stay on much longer than one simply wrapped around the finger.

Remember to keep the injured finger as dry as possible. As for how often to change the bandage, avoid doing it more than once every three days. Every dressing change disrupts the skin's healing process, extending it by several more days.

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