The Sound Medical Alternative

No one really believes me when I say I use super-glue to close the occasional hard-to-bandage cut. But it's true! It works! That's what drove the invention of super-glue. Cyanoacrylate; the polymer solution that goes crazy as its solvent evaporates and the forming polymers wrap themselves around one another and anything nearby.

I heard it independently from a materials engineer, and Lynn/Dr. Mom, and thus took it as one of those common sense truths. And everyone thought I was weird... particularly that time I put my hand through a window. But lo! I have been vindicated by the NYTimes.

However, the NYTimes article is somewhat specious? Pedantic? Ill-informed? Super Glue for Wound Closure, which is some random article written by a midwife, is much more informative about super-glue, and includes a time-line and citations to the underlying chemistry. For example; the primarly difference between off-the-shelf super-glue and medical-grade tissue adhesive is the alcohol used in the solution. Also, medical-grade glue is bacteriostatic: although I'm not sure what compound they add to make it so.

Also, I'm surprised that anyone would recommend use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to remove the glue. It's an awesome solvent, but it also makes your skin highly permeable. As in, DMSO + lemon juice on hand = taste lemon levels of permeability. The more you know! Materials science and biochemistry are awesome.