How to Remove Bandage Adhesive From Skin

Most first-aid tapes are now made so that little or no adhesive remains on your skin when the tape is removed. Just in case, here's how to remove any sticky stuff that gets left behind.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vegetable Oils
• Adhesive Bandages
• Baby Oil
• Blow Dryers
• Fun Adhesive Bandages
• Gauze
• Warm Compresses
• Adhesive Bandages

1. Lessen the pain when removing a bandage by applying a warm compress. Or spread baby oil or vegetable oil over and around the bandage with a cotton ball. The oil will also remove the adhesive left on the skin.

2. To remove a bandage from a wound that should not get wet, blow hot air from a hair dryer on the tape for a few seconds. This softens the adhesive and makes it easier to remove the bandage.

3. Look in the drugstore for an oil-based adhesive remover if there's a lot of bandaging going on in your household.

Tips & Warnings

• To distract a child before removing an adhesive bandage, draw a funny face on the bandage.
• If commercial bandage strips irritate your skin, try using a sterile gauze pad and paper first-aid tape instead. If your dressing will require frequent changing, using paper first-aid tape can be helpful in avoiding the pain of removing adhesive tape and possible irritation from adhesives.
• Don't apply antibiotic cream or salve directly to a cut. It's less traumatic to the wound if the cream is put on the bandage first, and then the bandage is applied.
• Bandages should be changed whenever dirty or wet. After one week, most cuts and wounds are sufficiently healed so that you no longer need a bandage.

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[grimsleygl]

on 5/14/2009 Great article! Spurred on some great conversation too! Wish I had of read this when I had to remove the bandage from my toe after having had my toe nail removed. Talk about pain...OH MY! Thanks for the super idea. 5's

[cmsk0820]

on 1/31/2009 I was admitted to the ICU and hooked up to a heart monitor, when the adhesive pads were removed it felt like they were applied with superglue. Without a doubt in my mind, the adhesive that was left on my skin was surely going to stay with me for the rest of my life...and being in my 40's this was not leaving me with a warm fuzzy feeling-although the adhesive did become attired with some dark fuzzy clothing material (extremely attractive on the chest area of a single woman in her 40's) I did try the veggie oil but only ended with bright red rub marks surrounded by the lovely fuzzies. After reading this web page I 100% recommend the mineral oil, although I did not try any of the other suggestions. FAFSW (Fuzzy and Adhesive Free Single Woman) from PA

[coxpc]

on 1/1/2009 Tried baby oil and it worked sort of, but required a LOT of elbow grease and time. There are pads used by medical professionals for this as well as for removing the tape itself with very little pain. Google for "Adhesive Tape Remover Pads". You can buy these for about $4 to $5 for a 100 pad box on amazon or some pharmacies carry them. I got some from a nurse and the brand was PDI for Professional Disposables Inc. I have also heard of the Triad Disposables brand but have not tried them.

THESE WORK GREAT, ARE CHEAP, AND ARE SO MUCH EASIER.

Baby oil works but it takes so much hard rubbing, at least on the various tape adhsives I have tried it on.

[tmgoosney]

on 11/12/2007 I tried mineral oil on my sleeping baby and it worked great... he didn't even wake!

[elocqy]

on 10/16/2007 Neosporine-The olive oil didn't work and I didn't have any baby oil. I used Neosporine and it worked great! I did have to let it rest on the tougher areas but it rubbed right off with a soft cloth.