Made You Look: Super glue is not for skin!
Instead of superglue, the author of Workshop Wound Care recommends a far better option for treating wounds.
Aug 01, 2024
I’ve been spreading lies for more than half my life. It all started when I was 16 and working in a hardware store. I’m not sure who it was, but someone told me that superglue sticks readily to skin because it was intended for battlefield wound care. Well, that’s not the case at all, and I’ve been spreading that rumor for, oh, 27 years now.
While I’m sure I’m not the only one who has used superglue on a wound in the shop, Jeffery Hill, author of the book Workshop Wound Care (Lost Art Press), recommends a far better option: 3M Vetbond. Along with a couple of bottles of Vetbond, I think all woodworkers should think about adding Dr. Hill’s woodworker-focused first aid book to their kit.
Bonus video for those of you who are like me—geeky enough to watch a 13-minute video on the history of superglue. I time-stamped the video to the pertinent information.
-Made You Look are videos we’ve found on the web that we thought were worth sharing with our audience. Let us know in the comments below if you find anything you think is worth a look!
3M Vetbond Tissue Adhesive
Comments
He is correct. There are different types of cyanoacrylate - the ones developed for tissue use are far less toxic to tissue than plain superglue.
It is worth noting that experience suggests that the scars left by glued wounds are often markedly inferior to sutured wounds, but evidence data says it is better.
Applying glue to a wound correctly is very difficult - much harder than stitching, which may explain the difference between controlled studies and real world anecdata.
My personal preference is only to use glue where there isn't a better option available.
I have two 8-1/2 inch long incisions. One had 2 sutures in the middle, but otherwise they were closed just with glue. They healed really fast.
Thanks Ben.
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