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Video: How to Repair a Cut With Duct Tape (Treating a Cut, Part 3)

by James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

We’re finally to the finale. This is the third video of my three-part series on how to treat a cut.

When you have no other recourse, almost any way to keep the edges of a cut together will suffice. Your body will do the rest. Duct taping a cut together requires the skin around the wound to be dry. Even a little oozing of blood may cause the tape to not stick. Other than that, taping a cut is easy.

To treat a cut, first follow the steps in my previous videos, parts one and two. Then:

  1. If you have glue, apply a little around the cut. Super glue is best.
  2. Tear off a a two-inch-long strip of duct tape.
  3. Tear that strip lengthwise into strips about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
  4. Start at one end of the cut. Stick a strip of tape to one side of the cut.
  5. Approximate the wound edges together.
  6. Stick the strip to the other side.
  7. Repeat steps 4–6 until the cut is closed. The second strip should be next to the first and so on, leaving a small open space between each strip.
  8. Apply antibiotic ointment on the wound in the spaces between the duct tape strips.
  9. Cover with a dressing.
  10. Keep the area clean and dry.
  11. Repeat ointment and dressing daily. Sooner if the dressing gets dirty or wet.
  12. If the area around the wound gets red and warm or the cut starts oozing pus, start on antibiotics.
  13. If the cut continues to ooze blood, press on the dressing for 10 minutes. If the bleeding persists, apply a pressure dressing. (Post on how to make one of those coming soon. Sign up for email notification in the upper right corner.)
More Information

“Skin Lacerations: How to Treat a Cut, Scrape, Gash, Stab Wound”

Generally, cuts over joints take about two weeks to heal. Cuts on the face take about five. Other cuts take about ten.

Hope you enjoy the video.

November 16th, 2011 | Tags: , | Category: Cuts, Skin, Videos
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  • dave

    I’ve made band-aides out of masking, duct, electrical tape all the time. But I put a small piece over the sticky part where it covers the wound (so less ‘ouchies’ when removing kinda like a real band aide)

    I rarely use bandages, typically if working in dirty areas or more often bleed won’t stop in a minute or two.

    • http://www.TheSurvivalDoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

      Thanks, Dave. Good idea about the gauze. What is a band-aide if not just that.

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  • http://www.TheSurvivalDoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Thanks, Seth,

    Good advice. I should have included it. Some people’s skin is so easy to tear. One thing a little different in this situation, though, would be you’re going to leave the tape in place for 7-10 days. Even so, you have to be careful in the elderly. Maybe soak in water before removing.

  • Seth Belt

    This is pretty interesting and i love the idea of using the tape. The only thing I would like to say is that caution should be used with older people or anyone else who may have thin skin. As an EMT, our base hospital has banned duct tape from actually touching a patient due to it ripping the skin on removal. In an emergency situation, due what you have to do to save a life, but at the same time, try to cause as little damage as possible. Good trick to add to the bag though! thank you for this website

  • http://www.TheSurvivalDoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Josh,
    Thanks for the thoughtful comments. I’m assuming the wound is going to have a great potential to get dirty, wet, further traumatized, etc., therefore cover it with tape, if available.

    In the video I talked about using gauze or makeshift padding if anything clean is available. And that’s what I mean in the written post instruction #9. To me, a dressing could contain one or all of the following: ointment, padding, tape (or something keep the padding from falling off).

    Hope that clears it up.

  • Josh Martin

    Thanks for the website. Interesting take on sealing the wound with tape vs. leaving some of it open to drain. Tape directly on the wound with no gauze or padding? Ouch, taking that one off.

  • http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com James Hubbard, M.D., M.P.H.

    Thanks for the comment, Drake. I’m glad the video helped.

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