Band-Aid Activ Flex bandages fit into that category.
Simply put, while they're a little bit pricey, they're well worth it because they don't just work better than regular bandages, they do things those bandages can't. They're waterproof and germ-proof, they speed and enhance healing, and they stay on for days.
Like A Second Skin
I keep a few Activ Flex bandages in my sports bag, and while playing outdoor volleyball over Memorial Day weekend, one of the other players, Ian, cut open the sole of his foot on top of a blister he'd gotten the day before.
We used a little water to wash it clean and then some antiseptic wash, and then he applied the Activ Flex bandage. Shortly afterwards he had re-entered the game.
These bandages are both waterproof and seal to your body like a second skin. While they can't take unlimited abuse, they stay on for days under ordinary circumstances and so are particularly good for areas like your hands which are constantly being washed.
Ian's bandage came off partly because of the blister and partly because of the wear and tear from running and jumping on it, but I gave him a couple more and he was sold on them, planning to go out and buy some himself.
Advanced Healing and Less Pain
These bandages were actually first developed for hospitals by Compeed, and Johnson & Johnson brought them out about 10 years ago under the trademark "Advanced Healing." (Competitors have since come out with similar products, but I think these work better.) I suspect their hefty price (about $5 for a pack of 10) discouraged people from trying them.
So a couple of years ago J&J rebranded them as "Activ Flex" with the implication that they would work better for active people. That's true, but they also make wounds heal much faster and with less scarring. Also, the Activ Flex bandages dramatically reduce the pain from the wound.
To me the price is justified because they both work better and stay on for days, so you don't need to replace them anywhere near as often.
Other Products: Blisters and Liquid Bandages
The same flexible, stretching colloidal material has been adapted for other purposes, too. For a while they had a similar scar treatment which I used to fade the scar where a mole had been removed, and they still sell a blister healing product. (I've also used these bandages to prevent blisters from forming, such as when I'm breaking in new boots.)
A different product, but one that also has its roots in the hospital products division, is J&J's Band-Aid Liquid Bandage.
They've revamped this product to make it a simple one-step process with a Q-tip style applicator, as opposed to the former method which required you to squeeze a liquid onto an activator. I'm not sure it works as well for larger cuts, but it seals small cuts very well, and again that's most useful on your hands which flex and get washed constantly.
The other advantage of the Band-Aid Liquid Bandage is that it doesn't sting when you apply it, unlike competing liquid and spray bandages.
how do you get them off?
ReplyDeleteThey actually peel off fairly cleanly, and are certainly no worse than an ordinary bandage. A little fluid builds up over the wound itself, which sounds a little gross but means it doesn't stick.
ReplyDeleteI found the Activ Flex bandages in the clearance section and thought that I would give them a try in my first aid kit. I think that these bandages would have problems adhering to a wound before clotting or maybe even slight scabbing. Have you tried these after allowing the wound to dry out so it's not trying to adhere to a wet surface?
ReplyDeleteThe bandages need a certain amount of dry skin area to adhere to, so it's a matter of how large the bandage is compared to the wound.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise as long as the wound is clean (that is, won't get infected) you don't need to let the wound dry out as long as it's in the center.
There are very large size Activ Flex bandages too if you get a really big scrape.
They are designed to have some wetness under the "pad" area since the bandage is acting like a scab. Because the bandage is the scab, your body won't try to produce one, which promotes healing and reduces the scarring.
ReplyDeleteA readily bleeding cut *may* be a problem, but that just means that you need to replace the bandage when it comes loose. Normally, the bandage will last 5-6 days (which it seem people are not accustomed to) Basically, leave it alone. When it comes off easily, its job is done.
ReplyDeleteLiquid Band Aid works well