Unusual Medical Uses For Duct Tape

Duct Tape is possibly the most incredible invention known to mankind - even better than the wheel or sliced bread. As it turns out, Duct Tape can be used in a variety of different medical purposes, as well as fashioning a wallet or a book cover. People have played around with Duct Tape for many years and the sticky material is even credited for saving the Apollo 13 astronauts when they had space trouble!  Here is a list of five uses for Duct Tape that you can use in your every day life.

ANKLE AND JOINT SUPPORT

To prevent injuries when playing sports, you can use duct tape to give your ankles, knees, or wrists added stability. Bind several layers of tape onto the joint of your choice until they feel stable. Once bound, the occurrence of sprains and fractures will be dramatically lower and you can play worry-free from joint-injury.

WART REMOVER

It may seem crazy, but duct tape is a medically accepted wart remover. Just stick some tape on a wart and let it settle for awhile. When you pull it, the wart will pop or come off, ending your problem with the annoying skin blemish. You can also apply some crushed aspirin on the wart before covering it with duct tape for better results. This is far-less painful than the other method of freezing the wart with liquid nitrogen and having it removed. Doctors state that this works in about 85% of patients. [Source: Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington]

WAXING MATERIAL

Long strands of hair sticking from your legs and arms can look unsightly and unflattering, especially for females. Remove those baby hairs using duct tape. Stick some on the hairy portions then jerk the strip of tape off. The process may be painful, but not looking good feels even worse, right? This same method can be used to exfoliate the dead skin left over from having sunburn.

BANDAGES

If you are like me, every time you get a small cut or scrape, there is never a proper bandage to be found. The solution is a simple one. simply put a few squares of toilet paper or other clean cloth over the wound and then use duct tape to cover it. This also works well if you have a cut or scrape in a difficult area where a bandage wouldn't stick (like a knuckle or other joint) or if you are going to submerge the area in water.

SUTURE

A sutures is a means of holding a more serious wound closed. While duct tape is not as ideal as a butterfly suture, it may be the only thing that you have available. Simply hold the two folds of skin together and tape. This will avoid additional tearing until you can get proper medical treatment. Police and emergency crews use duct tape in this manner to seal or hold gunshot and stab wounds in remote areas until an ambulance arrives. This also works well for animals who would pull at the wound.