How to Use a Band Aid

Download Article

Medically reviewed by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS

Last Updated: September 24, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Preparing Wounds

|

Dressing Wounds

|

Taking Safety Precautions

|

FAQ

|

Video

|

Tips

|

Warnings

Bandages help wounds heal by keeping them clean and protected as you go about your day. However, improper use of a bandage could cause the wound to become infected. Take care in how you prepare yourself and the wound, as well as the after care you provide for the wound. It's important to wash your hands and clean the wound before bandaging it. Then, apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment, unwrap the bandage, and align the sterile white pad directly over the wound before pressing down the sticky sides.

Easiest Way to Apply a Band-Aid

Wash your hands and rinse the wound with cool water, then apply a small dab of antibiotic cream or ointment. Unwrap the bandage carefully, position the white padded part directly over the wound, and press the sticky sides of the bandage down to secure it to your skin.

For popular FAQs on using a Band-Aid, jump to more common questions.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing Wounds

Download Article

1
Apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Before you can apply a bandage, you'll need to stop the bleeding. Bleeding is the body's way of flushing dirt and bacteria out of a wound, but it can make it difficult to keep any bandages or dressings in place if the wound is still actively bleeding.^{[1]
X
Trustworthy Source

FamilyDoctor.org
Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors

Go to source}
- Use a clean piece of gauze or cloth to apply pressure.
- Place the gauze/cloth directly on the wound and apply gentle pressure. Don't push too hard, or you could cause further injury to the site of the wound.
- If the gauze gets soaked with blood, apply additional gauze over the existing piece to absorb the blood. Do not remove the gauze that you've started with, and keep applying pressure.
- A deep wound may take a while to stop bleeding. Serious injuries can bleed for 30 minutes or longer.
- If the injury is on an arm or leg, keep it raised above heart level. This will help slow the flow of blood to the wound, which can allow the injury to start healing.
2
Clean the wound. Once the bleeding has slowed or stopped altogether, you'll want to clean the wound. This will help remove any debris that may be lodged inside the wound, and it will also help reduce the chances of an infection.^{[2]
X
Trustworthy Source

FamilyDoctor.org
Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors

Go to source}
- Use clean, cool water to rinse off a wound. Soap, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and iodine will all disinfect the wound, but they will cause a lot of pain and irritation.
- Hold the wound under a faucet of clean, running water, or pour clean, cool water directly over the wound to rinse it out.
- If there is any dirt or grit in the wound, sanitize a pair of tweezers by dipping them in rubbing alcohol. You may then use them to gently pick out the debris from the cut, but be careful and remember that an errant tweezer could cause a great deal of pain to an open wound.
Advertisement
Before applying any antibiotic or bandages, you'll want to dry the skin around the wound. Use a clean, dry, disposable towel to gently dab the wound dry and wipe away any excess water, blood, or dirt on the skin around the injury.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Dressing Wounds

Download Article

1
Assess whether a bandage is necessary. Though you may think every wound needs a bandage, a bandage may actually be unhelpful or even harmful to certain types of wounds. In general, a cut or gash that is not very deep will benefit from a bandage, while other types of wounds will require different treatment approaches.
- Keeping minor scratches, scrapes, and cuts clean might be sufficient, and you may be able to leave them uncovered. This will allow the wound to remain dry and begin to heal.^{[3]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  FamilyDoctor.org
  Family-focused medical advice site run by the American Academy of Family Doctors
  
  Go to source}
- Deep or wide wounds may need to be sealed by a medical professional. These injuries may require stitches, staples, or other special medical dressings.
- Some injuries may heal best with hospital glue, like Dermabond, which seals the wound shut. You should never use household glue, though, as this is unsafe and may further injure the wound.
2
Apply an antibiotic. After cleaning your wound with soap and water, use a small dab of antibiotic cream or ointment to help disinfect the wound and keep the wound from drying out. You won't need much antibiotic. Spread the small dab evenly across the wound until a thin layer covers the entire site of the injury.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Apply the antibiotic to the wound itself, not the cotton center.
3
Decide on a type of dressing for the wound. There are many different types of dressings and bandages that can be used for a wound. Some factors to consider when choosing a bandage include the size/shape of the wound, the nature of the wound, and any allergies the injured person might have.
- Standard adhesive bandages are best for small or superficial cuts, and they come in a number of shapes and sizes. They may not be helpful for deep cuts, long cuts, or jagged wounds with uneven edges.
- You can also buy adhesive bandages that are water-resistant, latex-free, and in special shapes to cover oddly-formed wounds.
- Cloth bandages and dressings like gauze can also be used for wounds that are bleeding excessively.
- Steri-strips can be left on an injury for up to 10 days or until they fall off on their own.
- Hospital glue is quick and painless. It remains on the wound for one to two weeks, and by the time it peels off the wound will have healed.
4
Choose the right size bandage. Bandages come in many shapes and sizes. Before you dress a wound, it's important to size up the injury and look through the bandages on hand to find one that will adequately cover the injury. If the bandage is too small it won't effectively protect the wound. If it's too big, it might hinder movement or end up soaking up water or dirt as the injured person moves and goes about their day.
- Pick a bandaid that is slightly bigger than your wound, if possible.
5
Unwrap and apply the bandage. Be very careful as you unwrap the bandage. Pre-packaged bandages are sterile, and it's important that they remain sterile when you apply them to a wound. Be very careful as you peel off the backing on the adhesive strips, and only touch the sticky parts. Do not touch the sterile cloth center with your hands. Pull back the paper guarding and apply the cloth center flat to your skin.
- Try to center the sterile cloth in the middle of the bandage directly over the deepest part of the wound.
- If the wound is long, you can use multiple bandages to keep it covered.
- If the wound is a minor scrape or scratch, it's actually best to avoid bandages and simply leave it uncovered.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
A bandage keeps dirt and bacteria out of your wound, which means the bandage will inevitably get soiled throughout the day. It may also soak up some blood if your wound starts to bleed again. Generally speaking, you should take the bandages off and leave the wound uncovered at night so it can breathe (each would is different, however, and it might need coverage at night as well). Then cover the wound with clean bandages every morning, and keep some extras with you in case the bandages you're wearing get wet or dirty.^{[6]
X
Research source}
7
Recognize when you'll need medical attention. It's easy to bandage a simple wound at home, but some injuries require further medical attention. Any wound that is gaping, jagged, or shows exposed fat/muscle under the skin will need stitches as soon as possible. You should also have a medical professional assess the wound to evaluate your risk of infection.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- Only a doctor or nurse can stitch a wound. If you get a wound stitched up within a few hours of the injury, it will reduce the risk of infection and make the scars (if any) very minimal.
- If you (or the injured individual) have not had a tetanus shot within the last five years and the injury was caused by a dirty or rusty piece of metal or it was particularly deep, a doctor will probably recommend a tetanus booster shot. The shot should be administered as soon as possible, so don't delay seeking medical attention.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Taking Safety Precautions

Download Article

1
Wash your hands. Before you do anything to treat a wound, whether it's on your own body or on someone else's, you should first wash your hands. Properly washing your hands will help reduce the risk of infection and promote faster healing at the site of the injury.^{[8]
X
Trustworthy Source

National Health Service (UK)
Public healthcare system of the UK

Go to source}
- Use clean, running water from a faucet. It doesn't matter whether you use warm or cold water, so choose what you're most comfortable with.
- Wet your hands under the faucet, apply soap, and lather the soap until you've covered the entire surface of both hands. Make sure you lather the soap between your fingers and under your nails as well.
- Spend at least 20 seconds scrubbing your hands and moving the lather around.
- Rinse away all the soap and any physical dirt/debris from your hands under the faucet. Dry your hands with a clean, disposable towel, or let them air dry.
- In the absence of clean, running water, you can disinfect your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. However, hand sanitizer will only kill germs and will not remove dirt or any physical debris from your hands.
Because blood-borne pathogens are highly infectious, it's best to wear disposable gloves any time you might come in contact with someone else's blood or bodily fluids. Always use a clean pair of disposable nitrile, neoprene, vinyl, or latex gloves before touching the injured person, and wash/disinfect your hands as soon as you remove the gloves.^{[9]
X
Research source}
3
Have the injured person get comfortable. If you're dressing a wound for someone else, have that individual get comfortable before you begin. You can have the individual sit or lie down (if feasible). You should also explain everything you're going to do before you begin to actually treat the wound.
- Work on the side of the injury if you're treating someone else's wound. That way you won't have to lean across the individual's body to dress the wound, which may make the individual feel stressed or uncomfortable.^{[10]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  National Health Service (UK)
  Public healthcare system of the UK
  
  Go to source}

Common Questions: Best Practices for Bandages

How do you take off a Band-Aid without it hurting?

For pain-free bandage removal, soak a cotton ball or cotton swab in baby oil, olive oil, petroleum jelly, or baby shampoo. Rub the cotton ball all over the bandage and try to work it under the adhesive a little. The adhesive will loosen up significantly and you should be able to peel the bandage off easily.^{[11]
X
Research source}

Should I sleep with a Band-Aid on?

It's important to keep your wound covered during the day when you're awake, but you can leave it uncovered at night while you sleep as long as it isn't oozing, bleeding, or painful. Clean the wound in the morning when you wake up and apply a fresh bandage.^{[12]
X
Research source}

Can I shower with a Band-Aid on?

You can leave the bandage on while you're showering if you'd like, but it's also okay to remove it first as long as you don't soak the wound with too much water. Brief contact with water during a shower is fine, though. Either way, once you get out of the shower, apply a fresh bandage.^{[13]
X
Research source}

Video

Tips

Buy bandages with antiseptic on them, to keep the wound sterile.

Thanks
Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0
Keep bandages in one place so they're always available when you need them. You should keep some handy at all times in case someone gets cut.

Thanks
Helpful 8 Not Helpful 0
Never pick crust off your wound.

Thanks
Helpful 5 Not Helpful 0

Show More Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

Warnings

Do not touch the wound. Keep it clean and covered to prevent infection.

Thanks
Helpful 4 Not Helpful 0
If you will be doing any activity involving water, use a water resistant bandage so it doesn't come off.

Thanks
Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2