Stan Galat posted:I ding myself a lot in my line of work, and have been super-gluing myself back together for years. My preferred method is to cauterize the bleeding with the glue, then use a second application to bring the skin together. It works best if you can use a good sticky tape (duct tape works well) to anchor the skin flaps in position (just don't leave it on for more than a day, or the skin dies under the tape)..
I had a ladder kick out on me in the summer of '16. I rode it down 20 ft or so and landed on my back. My right elbow split from the impact. Once I collected myself and determined nothing was broken (probably), I drove home to have Jeanie glue me back together. When I got there, she was less than proud of my performance-- but having been married to me for more than 30 years, she was used to it and still took care of me. I was pretty sore-- but aside from the elbow, none the worse for the wear.
Anyhow, a few days later the elbow had gotten angry red, as happens one time in 20 or so. I went to the prompt care, where they looked at me like I had 2 heads. After convincing them I was not taking an ambulance ride, I drove to the ER and checked myself in. It was a busy night in Peoria, and I was branded a "special case" by the nurses, and put in the back room while they attended to less stupid patients.
When I got to see the attending MD after a few hours, he was great. He was the first party involved to be impressed by the resourcefulness, and told me where I could get the yellow Vietnam powder to sprinkle in before I glued. He said he'd probably just do the same thing I was doing, but would chase it with a course of antibiotics. We discussed where I might obtain antibiotics without a prescription (my idea was the animal husbandry section of Farm and Fleet, he liked gray-market drugs from India better). The nurses were all slack-jawed with the interchange, but my approach was vindicated (at least in my eyes).
Your mileage may vary.
Crazy glue and iodine tincture is my favourite and I make sure not to cover it up.
Iodine is an old treatment but it goes through the skin something that a lot of topical antibiotics cannot do.