How Band-Aids Work

As a kid, you very well fear having wounds because they are extremely painful. In fact, the smaller the wound is, the pricklier it feels. One of the items your parents do to appease you is applying a band-aid to your wound.

Band-aids are adhesive bandages created and manufactured by Earle Dickinson for Johnson & Johnson's company in the 1920s. The term "band-aid" is actually a brand name but over time and due to the name's popularity, the same has also become synonymous to the general adhesive bandages. This is still true even if other brand names have already sprung up for sale to the general market. In terms of appearance, band-aids have also evolved in the design and the tri-dimensional sterile pads in the middle. With regard to the look of the bandages, the major objective is to make children fear less the sterilization of their wounds through the use of colorful designs and cartoon characters like Hello Kitty, Barbie, Spiderman, and even Dora the Explorer.

Bandages are used for the immediate covering of your small wounds and scratches. This is done to avoid exposing the wounds and scratches to dirt and other external objects that can cause infection. Also, it is suggested to be used after you have thoroughly cleaned your wounds with soap and water or sometimes, when it is graver, with alcohol and antiseptic.

This first aid kit works like a replacement to the scab that is usually formed by your skin to protect the wound and its insides from bacteria that causes infection. Also, it is found to be absorbent of the blood that your wound secretes and that eventually forms a scab or protective skin over the scratch. You might notice even the school nurse prefer the use of a band-aid, rather than leaving the wound open, although it prevents scabs from forming. Scabs that form over wounds have a tendency of cracking and opening up, which may even happen before the internal wound has totally healed. This would lead to more infection and possibly longer healing time. But when a band-aid is used, the covering is ensured to be in place due to its adhesive side that is attached to your skin for as long as the wound takes to heal from the inside.

Band-aids are highly purposeful especially in ensuring that small wounds and blisters do not develop and become more of a problem to you.

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