The Bandage Journey

No one warned me about the amount of junk that I would accumulate when I finally graduated from college. I felt like I had single-handedly invented the sport of collecting useless stuff over the past four years. It was time to face the hard truth: I needed to downsize. What better way to start than by bidding farewell to my faithful companion, the mini-fridge? Therefore, the most logical next step was to sell my fridge to someone on campus. Luckily, my friend was willing to take the fridge off my hands, so we made plans to meet up and exchange the mini-fridge. Now, let me tell you, trying to squeeze that bulky fridge into the backseat of my car was a workout in itself. As a former athlete, I thought I was more than capable of lifting the mini-fridge, but I guess not.

At only 4’11” I was super impressed that I was able to lift the mini fridge into my car, but little did I know that karma had a sharp surprise in store for me. I discovered the universe’s secret weapon against overconfident movers: a sneaky, razor-sharp piece of metal hiding underneath the fridge. As you may have guessed, my finger became its unfortunate victim. Picture a scene from a horror movie but with a mini fridge instead of a chainsaw. Blood, tears, and regret filled the air, and my grand plans to downsize turned into a frantic search for a bandage. If you’ve ever found yourself in desperate need of a bandage, whether it’s due to mini fridge mishaps or any other wacky adventure, fear not! I’m here to guide you through the perilous journey of finding the perfect bandage that can best fit your injury.

During this situation, I knew the following:

1. I needed a bandage that would stay on my finger.
2. Since my cut was fairly deep, I needed a bandage that would keep the wound clean because I do not want an infection.
3. The bandage must not leave residue (just a personal pet peeve)
4. Since I was in the process of moving out of my college dorm, my supplies were limited.

How did I, the bandage connoisseur with impossibly high standards, decide which ones were worthy? Well, I did what any soon-to-be college graduate would do, see which one of my friends had bandages and determine which one would work the best in my situation. Based on the limited supplies I had on hand; I had the following choices:

• Band-Aid Flexible Fabric
• Curad Sheer Bandages
• First Aid Only Plastic Bandages

Most people would pick one bandage and call it a day. But as the saying goes, “The proof is in the pudding,” or in this case, in the adhesive. As the cut began to heal I noticed that these bandages weren’t well suited for my finger. Like any rational person faced with such a dilemma, I resorted to the ultimate problem-solving technique— making a list. My list consisted of a few different types of bandages and along with some of their good qualities.

The Band-Aid brand is the most recognizable among the other brands, so Band-Aid was my first choice. The flexible fabric bandage did a good job of protecting my finger from dirt and other substances that could infect my cut. The fabric also made it easier to move my finger and handled getting wet well.

The next bandage I tried was Curad Sheer Bandage. This bandage also kept germs away and was flexible around my finger and it was thin enough to where I forgot I had it on.

The last option I hadn’t tried was First Aid Only Plastic Bandages. Like the other band-aids, the First Aid Only bandages kept away debris from my cut and were flexible so I could move my finger naturally.

From this mini-experiment, I concluded that all these bandages helped my cut heal. However, the biggest challenge of all these bandages was that they weren’t ideal for where my cut was located. If my cut had occurred anywhere else, these bandages wouldn’t have posed any issues. Since the cut was on my finger, I needed to find bandages meant for my hands, so I went to the internet to find the ideal options.

From my research, I found several options, First-Aid Only Fingertip Fabric Bandages, Band-Aid Adhesive Bandages Infection Defense with Neosporin, and Curad Waterproof Variety Pack. The First Aid Only Fingertip Fabric Bandages are specifically designed to provide optimal coverage and protection for cuts, wounds, or abrasions on the fingertips and feature a strong adhesive backing that keeps them securely in place, even during everyday activities that involve hand movements.

The Band-Aid Adhesive Bandages Infection Defense with Neosporin provides a two-fold defense against infection by protecting the wound and delivering the benefits of Neosporin simultaneously.

And lastly, the Curad Waterproof Variety Pack comes in various sizes perfect for any water-related activities (such as washing dishes). The best part of all is that these bandages are conveniently located on W.B. Mason’s website! Whether you are stocking the school nurses’ office, the office first-aid kit, or somewhere else that regularly uses them, these bandages are ideal for finger-related injuries. Take it from me, the newly proclaimed bandage expert.

Although my mini fridge left me with a scar, I never would have figured out that some bandages are meant for fingers, and some aren’t. I can’t say that I’ll ever put this much effort into searching for bandages again, but I’m glad I now have some knowledge of the varieties of bandages that are available. To all those who are struggling to find the ideal bandage, I hope this story has helped you narrow down your search!