# Proper technique for super gluing a wound



## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

Because I am perhaps the world's least graceful person, last night I managed to slice my palm with a linoleum knife while I was working on a washing machine drain hose. I dashed off to an open Wal-Mart and bought some Super Glue.

I finally managed to stop the bleeding but made a bit of a mess of my hand.

Does anyone have tips on how to use Super Glue in a more graceful way to seal wounds?


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## Shepherd (Jan 23, 2005)

Good grief! Did you bleed all over Walmart? LOL. Poor guy!

I've never tried using it on a wound, so I'll be interested in the replies too.

I hope your hand heals good Oggie.

(Hmmmm, didn't he have me on ignore?)


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

use two people. Only be careful which one you glue to where and what! 

I have SG in our emergency 1st aid kit. I figure if the Drs can use spray glue to fix the back of a DS's head, I can use it to close things up. We hold the wound edges together and then run a bead of SG over the edges. Hold it together until it sets up. Let go slowly to see if it will hold. You might need some butterfly bandages for a day or so to help hold the edges together.


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## crafty2002 (Aug 23, 2006)

I have never used super glue to close a wound. I have however used electrical, duct, packaging, and what ever else kind of tape I could find to do so.
So I would probably do as follows.
#1: Clean the wound good using porixide and/or alcohol. Ouch that stuff burns!!!!
#2: Coat wound with an antibiotic ointment staying away from edges of wound to be clued.
#3: Coat only the outter edges of wound with the glue and close.
#4: Wrap fairly tight with gauze and tape up.
#5: Don't use hand for 10 years.
Steps #3 & #5 may be avoided if you keep it clean and wrapped in clean gauze for the next 72 hours or so, and no reddening and bad swelling appears around wound. 
If severe and/or reddening appears, check for blue streaks on the arm.
If blue streaks appear, cut off hand and start from #1.

In retrospect, I would just do #1, #2 and #4, but that's just me. 

All joking aside, I layed my hand open one day withg a chisel that was supper sharp and it wouldn't stop bleeding for the life of it. It was cut pretty bad too. Down deep but I hate hospitals and doctors. That is out of the question unless I am dieing. :shrug:

I took a tennis ball, wrapped it in gauze, squirted some salve on it and held it in the hand for a while. The bleeding stopped, and I ended up taping it all up in the hand before bed.
Worked like a charm. 
I hope yours will turn out as well as mind did. But it took a while before I could use it much at all. 
Dennis


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## WindowOrMirror (Jan 10, 2005)

I always clean the wound, ensure that it won't "pocket", then take a butterfly bandage, cut a circle out of the center of it, then place it across the wound to create some tension... holding it together. I then ensure that the wound edges are 'tucked under' slightly on both sides and apply drops of SuperGlue each few millimeters along the wound line.

DO NOT USE THIS TECHNIQUE IF AIR POCKETS WILL FORM. That's just as bad as surface stitching. That is, with a deep wound, don't use the Super Glue technique.

R


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

The woman at the checkout looked at me a bit funny. I was holding a wad of paper towels I grabbed at home and buying hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, big band aids and super glue. But she was too afraid to ask.

I washed my hand to remove the residue from the paper towels and poured the peroxide on it (ouch!). I followed with the rubbing alcohol (OUCH! OUCH! OUCH!). Then, squirted the superglue into the wound. The first 3/4 or so sealed pretty neat. But blood kept the last part of the wound open. So, I just put on some more glue. It finally sealed but it looks a bit jagged.

Then I had to clean up the extra glue with non- acetone "safe" fingernail polish remover. Next time I'll have some acetone ready.

The wound is still holding together. It's just below the calluse line on my hand.


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## sweetbabyjane (Oct 21, 2002)

Oggie playing with a blade
Not a washer repairman by trade
Near about cut off his hand
Next time we call the Maytag man.

Sorry Oggie, couldn't resist. Hope your hand heals quickly. 


SBJ


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

The Maytag Man, well, oh yeah, right.
Those guys just don't work at night.
But my wife was pleading
and soon I was bleeding
Now, she thinks that I'm quite a sight.


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## Bink (Apr 13, 2003)

You were chasing after another one of those washer snakes, weren't you?


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## Oggie (May 29, 2003)

The best defense is a good offense.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

The "proper" way to do it is to use sterile glue bought from a medical supply house and do it after properly debriding the wound and sterilizing the area. But I've never done that 

Super glue won't work well on an area that gets a lot of stress. The glue has a crystalline structure so it will 'break' if you stress it over and over. But for other places the way I do it is to a line the edges and put a drop and hold it until the glue sets. Then move up the wound. I always leave one of the wound open to allow for drainage. One of the worse things you can do is seal up nasties inside the wound. 

Also, I guess you found out it stings a bit.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Healing thoughts to your hand.
Take care Oggie.

Angie


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

I use it alot on me and my dog-------Seems one of us always gets a Cut. For me--I clean it--Dry--then put a light run of glue on the top edge of the cut on just one side(not deep into the cut)---then push the wound together and hold it for a few seconds, then some buttery fly strips a bandade then get back to work.


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## beamernc (Jan 5, 2008)

I use the Crazy Glue brand that is purple and dries clear. It has a brush in the lid like nail polish which makes it easier to apply and where you want it. The first time I used it, I cut my thumb with a new pocket knife. I held the edges together and brushed the glue across the cut and waited for it to dry. I applied a new layer each day for the next couple of days because it will crack. The cut healed quickly and never even got sore.

The last time I used it I had layed my thumb open with a broadhead. My glue had dried up so I sent my wife to the store for a new bottle. The cut was bleeding pretty bad and did not want to stop as I was trying to glue it shut. I ended up glueing part of a paper towel to it by accident but it actually helped to hold it closed and stopped the bleeding. Again it needed a new layer for a couple of days.

I now keep a fresh bottle around just for accidents.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Just a note- I think the super glued wounds heal more slowly. And I know the spray glue slows the healing process. I think wounds need a bit of air to heal well and the glue will prevent that. 

I do wish you could just buy sutures to use at home somewhere. Seems like it would be much easier. Not that suturing the palm of a hand would be a party... 

Hope your hand heals well, Oggie.


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## watcher (Sep 4, 2006)

Callieslamb said:


> Just a note- I think the super glued wounds heal more slowly. And I know the spray glue slows the healing process. I think wounds need a bit of air to heal well and the glue will prevent that.
> 
> I do wish you could just buy sutures to use at home somewhere. Seems like it would be much easier. Not that suturing the palm of a hand would be a party...
> 
> Hope your hand heals well, Oggie.


Google is our friend. You can buy sutures as well as wound staple guns. Then again you can buy alcohol, cotton thread and 1/2 and 3/4 circle needles at wally world. With a few minutes with a sharpening stone and you can turn them into 'cutting needles'. I've put in many a stitch with such things. A few with nothing more than a regular needle and thread. FYI, floss and fishing line will work if you need a strong stitch.

Also FYI the wife has told me no stitching of her or the kids.


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## Common Tator (Feb 19, 2008)

Oggie, I am sorry you cut your hand. 

I have injured myself while cooking many times, and have tried to convince my DH that the kitchen is no place for a woman, but to no avail!

I keep fingernail glue around, because it was designed for use on the human body. It looks and smells like super glue. I used to do the whole fake fingernail thing, and glued my fingers together enough times to know that it holds human skin really well!

If I injure my self to the point I need to glue myself back together I clean the wound very well. I like to use an antiseptic, and I like Bactine, because it is an antiseptic, and has an anesthetic agent in it, to relieve pain. I squeeze the sides of the wound together to stop the bleeding and dry off the edges of the wound and let it air dry for several minutes, keeping the pressure on it so that it doesn't bleed. 

When the surrounding skin is dry, and while still squeezing the sides together, (and if the wound is fairly long, make sure the sides match up properly). Then apply the fingernail glue to the surface of the skin only. By squeezing the wound together, you are making sure the glue doesn't get into the wound, only on the surface of the skin. Keep holding the wound together until the glue has dried sufficiently to hold it together.

Good luck, and I hope you get better soon.


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