Cuts in difficult places!

[Paul_B]

Possibly a stupid question but what is out there for minor cuts in awkward places. I ask because I cut the tip of my finger deeply and after kitchen towel emergency blood collection, pressure and elevation to stop the blood I had only butterfly shaped plasters with limited padding. The first one filled with blood and I had to replace.

Anyway, I've had awkward placed or shaped cuts such that a standard, rectangular plaster doesn't fit. I do have sterile pads but I've always found they stick only to open up the wound when you replace. Melinda I think is one brand.

I have large ambulance dressings for anything big or serious (after a crush injury on my hand that took two such, thick dressings and still leaked through). It's the little bleeders that don't warrant such dressings and the ones on digits or other awkwardness places.

What's the collective advice? I know there's medic trained and paramedics on here too I believe. Certainly well trained first aiders I can learn from.

Until I get better I'm using butterfly plaster with rectangular around the top to hold it securely and collect blood that gets through.

PS how often should I change it? Should I leave for a few days to heal a bit?

 

[TLM]

I have used 10mm micropore for those. Just remember that not tight! At first it might seep some blood through but not for long.

 

[Wildgoose]

To be fair it sounds like you are doing a good job.

A regular plaster over the top then micropore to hold it in place is probably the best you can do.

Steri strips can be good at closing a cut once it’s clean and stopped bleeding.

Those finger condom things are good at keeping a dressing on and clean.

As for changing it, I’d leave it a day or so but if it looks like it needs changing do so.

 

[Toddy]

I find that if I use a hydrocolloid blister plaster, one of the small long oval ones meant for blisters on toes ....women buy them because high heels chafe, they come in plastic packs that slip in a bag or pocket....then it fits very well on fingertips. It is much more flexible than ordinary plasters, and you can cut them into pieces and just use a bit if necessary.
Once it's well adhered I find it lasts for a couple of days. Long enough for everything to 'set'.

If you look up finger cots, meant for the girls who do manicures, or folks using glue, etc., then you can buy a pack of a hundred for a couple of pounds.
Awfully useful, and they'll go over a wrapping on a finger meant to just stop the bleeding. Let it all settle and then you can plaster it easily.

I still prefer the hydrocolloid plasters though.

 

[TLM]

In few difficult cases I have let micropore stay on for a week, I have used an antiseptic salve on top of it though. I have not used gel plasters but a friend swears by them, he seems to be a bit of a cut magnet.

 

[SaraR]

For cuts on fingers, I fold up some kitchen roll (paper towel) and wind around until the bleeding has stopped. It’s both absorbent and applies pressure, without sticking. Then I swap it for micropore tape. Remember to stretch, then bend your finger as your applying it to give yourself full range of motion and maintain circulation.

 

[Toddy]

My issue with micropore is that it gets so filthy, and wet. I know my hands are busy and into everything, but I can't use my fingers when they're wrapped in micropore.
I can use them with the hydrocolloid plasters on them though.

 

[SaraR]

My issue with micropore is that it gets so filthy, and wet. I know my hands are busy and into everything, but I can't use my fingers when they're wrapped in micropore.
I can use them with the hydrocolloid plasters on them though.

If you’re that hard on injured hands, perhaps use a nitrile glove while it’s healing?

I pretty much use my hands as normal (including washing them), but if the tape gets too wet I’ll squeeze it dry. It will fall off and need changing if you keep getting it wet, so that will keep it clean. Basically, I’ll let the severity of the cut (= how painful it is) guide how much and what I use that part of the hand for.

Micropore tape dries much faster than plasters, doesn’t get moisture stuck underneath and keeps the skin from going too prune-wrinkled.

 

[Mesquite]

Electrical tape with a dressing underneath... It's all I had at the time for a more or less similar problem to what you had (red was the first colour I could grab easily )

 

[Toddy]

If you’re that hard on injured hands, perhaps use a nitrile glove while it’s healing?

I pretty much use my hands as normal (including washing them), but if the tape gets too wet I’ll squeeze it dry. It will fall off and need changing if you keep getting it wet, so that will keep it clean. Basically, I’ll let the severity of the cut (= how painful it is) guide how much and what I use that part of the hand for.

Micropore tape dries much faster than plasters, doesn’t get moisture stuck underneath and keeps the skin from going too prune-wrinkled.

I'm busy. My hands are constantly in use. I have a butterfly mind and a life that accommodates that, I will literally do at least a dozen different things an hour, every hour.
I find micropore to be an annoyance on my fingers. It gets dirty, it goes fluffy, stuff sticks to it, like bad velcro, it starts to fail, the edge catches and it starts to peel, it is just more bother than it's worth.
I wear gloves for gardening or dealing with stuff that will stain my hands (processing veggies like onions and peppers, turmeric, or cleaning with silver or brass polish) but otherwise gloves just get in the way.
The hydrocolloid plasters go on, are waterproof enough, they stay on, they peel off cleanly when I think they've been on long enough, they don't catch, they don't become grimy. I can forget I have one on.
They work for me

Each to their own.

 

[Ystranc]

When I used to work as a model maker if we cut ourselves we used medical grade cyanoacrylate glue and accelerator to stick minor wounds closed and create a shell to stop blood spots getting onto the scale models. It worked.

 

[SaraR]

I'm busy. My hands are constantly in use. I have a butterfly mind and a life that accommodates that, I will literally do at least a dozen different things an hour, every hour.
I find micropore to be an annoyance on my fingers. It gets dirty, it goes fluffy, stuff sticks to it, like bad velcro, it starts to fail, the edge catches and it starts to peel, it is just more bother than it's worth.
I wear gloves for gardening or dealing with stuff that will stain my hands (processing veggies like onions and peppers, turmeric, or cleaning with silver or brass polish) but otherwise gloves just get in the way.
The hydrocolloid plasters go on, are waterproof enough, they stay on, they peel off cleanly when I think they've been on long enough, they don't catch, they don't become grimy. I can forget I have one on.
They work for me

Each to their own.

Yeah I’m not very easy on my hands either, so I know what you mean. I’m not very fussed about staining (unless it’s a toxic substance) so unless it’s a really messy job, I normally go without. I wear gloves enough in work as it is and really prefer my hands to air as much as possible when at home.

If you can get the hydrocolloid ones to stick to your skin, then they are great. They just don’t seem to work for me, not sure if I’m running too cold or just have the wrong type of skin for it or whatever. I just wanted to highlight how micropore tape works for me.

 

[Toddy]

I think plasters, and gloves, are such an individual thing that there's no right or wrong to it.
I loathe sticky hands, I don't mind muddy ones but I hate when I can't get them clean again.

Everybody's different....though I admit that @Mesquite 's solution works

 

[Toddy]

When I used to work as a model maker if we cut ourselves we used medical grade cyanoacrylate glue and accelerator to stick minor wounds closed and create a shell to stop blood spots getting onto the scale models. It worked.

I used to use NewSkin for stuff like that, but by heavens that nips !

 

[Mesquite]

Everybody's different....though I admit that @Mesquite 's solution works

It certainly did

 

[Kadushu]

I always find plasters peel or slide off so I carry medical tape with my plasters now and hold them on with a couple of wraps of that. For deepish cuts I use kitchen towel and a rubber band. I did cut my finger to the bone a couple of years ago and just used kitchen towel and gaffer tape on that which was perfectly adequate. 6 hour wait in A&E and 8 stitches for that one.

 

[Paul_B]

For cuts on fingers, I fold up some kitchen roll (paper towel) and wind around until the bleeding has stopped. It’s both absorbent and applies pressure, without sticking. Then I swap it for micropore tape. Remember to stretch, then bend your finger as your applying it to give yourself full range of motion and maintain circulation.

That's what I did. Well first thing was stick it in my mouth. Then out again as i realised it was full of garden debris. Quick flush under the tap, kitchen roll to dry and first two plasters put on one handed. 5 minutes later blood started leaking from the poorly fitted double plaster. I ripped that off and resorted to kitchen roll for 5 minutes, several pieces as they got damp.

It's a mess, like a divot cut out of the tip end of my finger print area with a slightly attached flap of skin. I changed my second, more successfully applied at of two plasters this afternoon and found the inner and the outer plasters were bloody. I thought it had stopped when I put them on. I keep knocking my finger tip, impossible not to I think. That's why it keeps bleeding.

I think this plasters set will stay on as long as possible, or a couple of days. I'll take a bundle of plasters to work tomorrow in case. I use my hands a lot and often moving heavy items, it'll bleed again.

One thing, there's no easy way to put plasters on tricky places with one hand. It's my dominant hand too so I'm doing it left handed when I'm right handed. It's 50:50 whether I get the first plaster on cleanly.

 

[Paul_B]

Electrical tape with a dressing underneath... It's all I had at the time for a more or less similar problem to what you had (red was the first colour I could grab easily )

Looks like you've dipped it into a pie, little jack horner!

 

[Paul_B]

Micropore doesn't stick well on me. Same with electrical tape. At work I've nicked yellow and green striped ones. Prefer 1" 3m sticky tape. It's cellotape with more stick. In an emergency paper or loo roll is better or tissues if I've got one. Then tape over it all. I can then sort it all out at home.

Work always seem to run out of plasters in the first aid kits. I think ppl nick them. So I try to keep a few at work in case. Or house has loads as our son has a habit of using them when not needed. So we make sure we can never run out.

 

[grainweevil]

Never had any luck with Micropore either - Hyperfix, on the other hand, is excellent stuff. Also familiar with the problem of knocking the healing finger all the time, but have found a finger cot made with cohesive bandage gives some extra protection. It's also useful when you're past the point of needing a plaster, but it's still a bit vulnerable - you can slide it on and off as needed. My only problem is one of my parrots absolutely hates it and refuses to step onto my hand if it's on there, although that is a pretty niche downside!

Hope your finger heals up well.