# I cut off the tip of my thumb - and now the plaster is \*really\* stuck **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 22, 2018, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244 "2018-01-22T20:59:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JohnGalt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johngalt/32/184_2.png) [@JohnGalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnGalt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/21 "2018-01-23T23:09:03Z")
Christmas gift: new mandolin slicer. What’s this extra plastic piece it came with? Slicing a cucumber - no problem, works great, wait, why is there blood? Third finger of the right hand… It didn’t stop bleeding after 30 minutes, went to the ER and sat for 4 hours. They did let me change the gauze after an hour or two, but by the time I saw a doctor it had stopped bleeding completely. Felt like a fool for going in at all, but it was a lot of blood and they said I was right to go in. No stitches, but she got out some silver iodine and dabbed that on the wound to cauterize it. That was the most painful thing I’ve ever endured in my life. It has healed nicely since then, and the mandolin went in the garbage can. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2018, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/22 "2018-01-23T23:13:56Z")
But! Just use the mandolin safety guard and you’ll be good. I felt the same way after seven stitches from a rotary cutter cut, but I am back cutting while wearing a Klutz glove on the other hand. OP, this board seems to think soaking in saline will be soothing and feel good: > **[bandaid stuck to wound -help!](https://www.mothering.com/threads/bandaid-stuck-to-wound-help.975279/)** > > Ok, so I basically cut off the end of my thumb yesterday. There's no "flap" of skin, there's just a hole and it hurts like a sumbiatch. Here's the problem: While I managed to stick on a few layers of bandaids and then vetwrap the darn thing, I tried... ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/23 "2018-01-24T04:03:22Z")
Wakinyan, when soaking off a scabbed on bandage like that, it takes a long time to get it to come off. A LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG time soaking. and yes, you may have to work it a bit to help it loosen up. And yes, even though you probably won’t die from anything if you don’t, you should have a Dr. at least give it a look over. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2018, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/24 "2018-01-24T05:33:52Z")
No telling what kinda germs are under that bandage. I would go in for tetanus shot at least. JohnGalt that silver iodine stuff is torture, I had a puncture wound one time and they squirted that stuff inside it, I thought I was gonna die. Horrible, bad stuff! The hydrogen peroxide is a good antiseptic, but you’re right it shouldn’t be used after the wound starts healing. But it may help to get that old bandage off, I wouldn’t be afraid to use it at all. It seems like they don’t have it over there, though ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/25 "2018-01-26T21:02:28Z")
Wakinyan – not only god of Thunder but from now on also of Ridiculously small wounds that make grown men cry – was right. The strategy worked. I left the plaster alone, left the wound alone. There was no irritation, no pus, no smell, no nothing except hurt. So I said to myself, Wakinyan, just leave it. It’ll heal, and when it’s ready the plaster will be easily removed. Don’t mess with it, let it be. And today, a week after the famous taco incident, the plaster – earlier as super glued to the open wound, I aint exaggerating – pretty much fell off of the thumb by itself. The wound looks good. It is bright red in the middle and you can clearly see light pink around the edges where new skin is deveolping. I bow down to the tremendous abilities of the human body, and the wisdom of Wakinyan.\* - No, not really. My motivation was cowardice, not wisdom. But like the universe, the body is fucking amazing. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/26 "2018-01-26T22:44:12Z")
Plaster was overkill, spackle next time! CMC fnord! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/27 "2018-01-26T22:51:56Z")
yea, what in the name of Sam Hill is a plaster? Is that like the mustard plaster granny sticks to your chest when you gots a cold? I mean, I know NOW, I saw post 17. It’s a bandage. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/28 "2018-01-26T22:55:22Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > yea, what in the name of Sam Hill is a plaster? Is that like the mustard plaster granny sticks to your chest when you gots a cold? > > I mean, I know NOW, I saw post 17. It’s a bandage. And the equivalent of a Band-Aid is an Elastoplast “sticking plaster”. > **[Elastoplast](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elastoplast)** > > Elastoplast is a brand of adhesive bandages (also called sticking plasters) and medical dressing made by Beiersdorf. > In 1928 Smith & Nephew of the UK acquired the licence to market and produce the Elastoplast range of bandages. > Beiersdorf bought the brand in 2000. It has become a generic trademark for "sticking plaster" in some Commonwealth countries including the United Kingdom and Australia. > In some countries in Europe Hansaplast, a brand name started by Beiersdorf in 1922, is used instead... I love the word Elastoplast. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244/29 "2018-01-26T23:01:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > {…} mustard plaster {…} Mustard plaster is my goto dipping sauce for Tide Pods! CMC fnord! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cut-off-the-tip-of-my-thumb-and-now-the-plaster-is-really-stuck/807244.md?page=1)