# why do Band-Aid wrappers glow in the dark when you open them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 4, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729 "2004-06-04T23:21:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![stapel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@stapel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stapel)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729/1 "2004-06-04T23:21:46Z")
I can find plenty of information on why wintergreen Lifesavers spark in the dark when you chew them (with your mouth open, obviously). But I can’t find why the wrappers for plastic bandages glow in the dark when you pull them open. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any info and/or URLs. Eliz. ---
**Author:** ![Aguecheek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Aguecheek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aguecheek)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729/2 "2004-06-04T23:45:32Z")
A Google search of “band-aid, wrapper, glow” comes up with several hits, one of which [notes](http://whitman.blogspot.com/2003_06_01_whitman_archive.html) that the phenomenon is called triboluminescence, and even links to Unca Cecil’s [column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_129.html) on Life-Savers (halfway there). Another Google search on triboluminescence and band-aid comes up with a couple of hits from Vanderbilt University and University of Minnesota. You can find some discussion about it [here.](http://www.optc.com/chemed-l-thread/Thread1461.html) If you just wanna google triboluminescence, you can find a whole bunch of articles on what exactly this phenomenon is. In short, it’s the same reason Life-Savers glow when chewed, but in a completely different context. But it’s something to take the mind off the reason you needed the Band-Aid in the first place, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![caymus28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@caymus28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caymus28)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729/3 "2004-06-04T23:54:09Z")
Apparently, it is caused by Tiboluminescence, although I cannot find a scientific site relating Trib. to band-aids, just some mentions of it. Google Search ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2004, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729/4 "2004-06-05T00:08:41Z")
Scotch tape (cellophane tape) will also do this, as will masking tape. ---
**Author:** ![stapel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@stapel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stapel)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-band-aid-wrappers-glow-in-the-dark-when-you-open-them/248729/5 "2004-06-06T23:15:03Z")
I had heard of triboluminescence and have suspected that the bandage-wrapper glow is probably related, but I haven’t been able to find anything definitive either. Yes, I’ve seen some “oh, and by the way, bandage wrappers do the same thing” references, but research has been done on the candies. Not so for the wrappers, apparently. Thank you for looking, though. Eliz.