# Products that make it worse. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357 "2009-12-23T19:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/41 "2009-12-25T20:26:18Z")
I had a fibroma removed from my arm last year, and the doctor told me to take the bandage off after the first 24 hours or so, and just keep it clean and dry. Her concern was that the bandage would catch and pull on the stitches and cause worse problems. Having the wound uncovered also kept it from itching and me from scratching. I still have an ugly scar from it, but it’s high enough that it’s covered by sleeves, and I can’t see it, so I don’t care. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/42 "2009-12-26T05:01:39Z")
Ooh. Cage match between an actual MD and some lady who works the desk in a doctor’s office! ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/43 "2009-12-26T05:35:01Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > [Just so.](http://www.ehow.com/how_4480406_rinse-hair-apple-cider-vinegar.html) Fixes the pH of your scalp and no more dandruff. > > Not as profitable as a manky shampoo that “visibly reduces the appearance of flakes with regular use,” I guess. When I was in my early twenties, I tried H&S (and, briefly, Selsun Blue) and all I got out of it was months of weird hair and more dandruff. Vinegar cleared it right up. Thank you, _Ladies’ Home Journal_ (or some such publication…) I don’t know about that. I mean I get your point about regular use vs. permanent fix but I still think I could make a lot of money marketing **Fuzzy Dunlop’s All Natural Dandruff Shampoo with Organic Raspberry Vinegar.** ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/44 "2009-12-26T06:12:49Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > Ooh. Cage match between an actual MD and some lady who works the desk in a doctor’s office! Very mature. Have you already finished playing with your new toys this Christmas night? BTW I’m trained in wound care for many years- I don’t work at a desk. I’ve many times noticed that general practitioners don’t always have the same guidelines in dealing with wounds as dermatologists and surgeons, and that’s fine, too. I have yet to see a dermatologist refer a wound to a GP for care, but I have seen the reverse many times. So for now I’m going to stick with what I’m taught, and I’ll be happy to let the good doctor stick with what he’s taught. Does that work for you **Green Bean**? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/45 "2009-12-26T06:56:49Z")
“Cold Medicines”. The ad shows you taking the “wonder-drug” then going out- and merrily spreading the virus along, thus selling more o that shit. During the contagious period- stay the fuck home. As for band-aid and Neosporyn- it depends on the cut, of course. Deeper cuts call for a band-aid and Neo. Shallow scrapes call for wound cleansing then letting them breathe and dry out. IMHnonmedicalO. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/46 "2009-12-26T06:58:14Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Oh yes. I nomitate **every big-name anti virus program**. Not Kaspersky. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/47 "2009-12-26T07:28:04Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > “Cold Medicines”. The ad shows you taking the “wonder-drug” then going out- and merrily spreading the virus along, thus selling more o that shit. > > During the contagious period- stay the fuck home. Can’t you take it and stay home? ---
**Author:** ![Audrey\_Levins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Audrey\_Levins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Audrey_Levins)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/48 "2009-12-26T14:08:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Skin surgery done with a sterile prep and sterile technique are a bit different from treating a dirty open wound. > > Mushy wet messes are also breeding grounds for skin infections, which lead to bad outcomes. I’ve seen plenty of them. Infection with dehiscence leaves one hell of a scar. And topical antibiotics are not cure-alls for every exposure (though I usually do prescribe them). > > One needs to balance keeping the area covered and moist/open and dry. > > QtM, who’s treated thousands of wounds and done countless skin biopsies/incisions. In my post about Band Aids I was referring to superficial cuts and injuries; for those I have found that letting it dry out and scab over, after disinfecting it (who can resist the fizz of hydrogen peroxide?) is a lot quicker than covering it with a Band Aid and/or Neosporin. I don’t see how a minor cut is going to become a big deal/scar/whatever if you don’t slap a Band Aid on it. Maybe I just don’t work in a toxic environment? Or perhaps my immune system has been trained to deal with minor attacks…? ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/49 "2009-12-26T15:27:55Z")
> [@Cat\_Fight](#): > > I vote for anti-acne products that strip your skin of so much oil it goes into overdrive producing more. But you know what works really great on individual pimples? Neosporin. 😃 (Seriously. Neither benzoyl peroxide nor salicylic acid work particularly well for me as spot treatments, but a tiny dab of neosporin before bedtime and that sucker is much better if not entirely gone by morning). ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/50 "2009-12-26T15:52:05Z")
I’m not speaking from personal experience, but… When I was researching the usefulness of **liquid scratch filler for eyeglasses** , I found that there were 50 horror stories for every semi-positive review. Apparently it’s about like brushing Crazy Glue on your glasses and hoping it improves things. ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/51 "2009-12-26T16:04:59Z")
Oh, and as far for covering wounds, IMHO it’s YMMV. My own small cuts and gouges can takes weeks to get better if I don’t cover them. If I do put a bandage on them, they usually stop hurting and bleeding right away and heal up fine. I shower and wash my hands, and the bandage gets wet, but usually I won’t change it unless it comes loose. On a major wound, I’ll change the dressing regularly. But obviously humans evolved with the ability to deal with small wounds without covering them. So, again, mileage varies. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/52 "2009-12-26T16:47:05Z")
> [@Audrey\_Levins](#): > > I’m so glad I’m not the only one who thinks Band Aids are a waste of time. I see these commercials for Neosporin with little kids Band-Aiding every single tiny cut with Neosporin “every cut, every time!” and I think how pointless it is. > > I didn’t think about germs so much as keeping a cut “wet” means it takes longer to scab over, which means it hurts for longer. Within a few hours an exposed cut is dry and scabbed and sealed; problem solved. > > The only time I use them is if I’m at work; I bartend, so if I cut my finger I don’t want to contaminate peoples’ drinks, so I bandage it up…til the end of my shift. When I pour a little vodka on it and go on with my life. 😛 Band-aids don’t keep your wound from contaminating whatever you touch. Get a supply of utility surgical gloves. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/53 "2009-12-26T17:52:25Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Can’t you take it and stay home? Sure. But stay home until you are no longer contagious. ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/54 "2009-12-26T20:01:15Z")
> [@randwill](#): > > Nasal Sprays. Stuffed up nose? Use for a few days and find out what a _really_ stuffed up nose is like. That, or it runs down the back of your throat and you’re stuck with the gross, bitter taste. I’ve had one such product that worked rather well, but it was a gel or cream (can’t remember which), not a spray. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/55 "2009-12-27T07:02:49Z")
For chapped lips, I recommend either A&D Ointment or Bag Balm. Both work quite well and can be used for dry cuticles, etc. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/56 "2009-12-27T23:08:14Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > I just have to come in here to refute all the bad bandaid advice. Every cut should be covered, every time. Wearing bandaids until your cuts are healed prevents them from getting infected, and helps them to heal faster, better, and with less scarring. That’s a proven fact. “Scabs are good”=old wive’s tale. As for Neosporin, the main problem with it is that many people are or will become allergic to the antibiotic in it. Polysporin is much better, Vaseline or Aquaphor even better. > . IANAMD either, but this claim seems silly. Polysporin IS Neosporin, but with an active ingredient removed. And adding Vaseline or Aquaphor to trap bacteria in a wound, without anything to keep them in check sounds absolutely silly. I don’t need the lecture about overuse of antibacterials, but I’m going to use them when I have an open portal for buggies directly into my body, until proven otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Flowers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecccb3/32.png) [@Dead\_Flowers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Flowers)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/57 "2009-12-28T00:02:08Z")
> [@chaoticbear](#): > > Polysporin IS Neosporin, but with an active ingredient removed. If you must use topical antibiotic on a wound, polysporin is in general a better choice because it does not contain neomycin. Neomycin is the particular component of neosporin to which allergic reactions are most likely. The same goes for eye drops and ear preparations. And for the thread topic, Entenmann’s fat free anything is a product that makes it worse. Having weight trouble? Want a dessert? Here’s a giant carbohydrate bolus of simple sugars and preservatives. You can eat as many of these as you like. They’re fat free. (I know, moderation, it’s not the product’s fault. But still.) ---
**Author:** ![Yarster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7c8e57/32.png) [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/58 "2009-12-28T00:09:59Z")
Let’s see - Norton Anti-Virus comes to mind - prevents everything else from working to the point where any software support decision tree starts with “Do you have Norton? If so remove it” I don’t know if Word 2007 counts - with all the features moved around, you now take twice as long to write and format your documents…what the Hell kind of improvement is that, and why the fuck is there no option for a “classic view” if you hate what they’ve done (which everyone I know does)? Agreed for nasal spray, although I do like being able to control WHEN I am stuffed up (i.e not on a plane and not when I’m asleep). I disagree for some drain cleaners though. If you don’t own a snake, and/or can’t figure out where the clog is, drain cleaner followed by boiling water can do the trick nicely. I’d say many kitchen gadgets fall into this category. I’m amazed at how many chopper devices there are that claim to save you the time of finely chopping (fill in the blank) rather than using a knife, but then take ten times longer to clean than a knife ever would. ---
**Author:** ![EpicNonsense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@EpicNonsense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EpicNonsense)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/59 "2009-12-28T02:21:47Z")
Condoms ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2009, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357/60 "2009-12-28T02:42:24Z")
> [@Yarster](#): > > I’d say many kitchen gadgets fall into this category. I’m amazed at how many chopper devices there are that claim to save you the time of finely chopping (fill in the blank) rather than using a knife, but then take ten times longer to clean than a knife ever would. Not to mention that fact that they are all so small, that unless you only ever chop baby carrots and pearl onions, you’ll h ve to break out the knife anyway to cut them into small enough pieces. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/products-that-make-it-worse/522357.md?page=4)