How to Put on a Band Aid on Yourelf with Only One Hand

Putting an adhesive bandage is a pain in itself. However, putting it on yourself is a process unto itself. When you get a cut bad enough for a bandage, its almost as insulting as running into a wall when you were trying to round a corner. One of the worse places to put an adhesive bandage is your opposite arm or hand;however, these are often the places where you get the most use out of just such a bandage. That is why i will focus on bandaging yourself with only one hand. Notice that I do not use adhesive bandages, since "Band Aid" is the name of a company not the name of a thing.

You clean the cut. You dry it off and you are ready to apply the bandage so that no other dirt gets into it. First, place some medicated antibiotic ointment on the cut, this comes under the name of "Neosporin" often times, but again it is a name brand and there are a number of others out there for you to use. Do not place this ointment on the bandage. It will make the bandage slip and slide, and this will do nothing for your cut. Place the ointment directly on the cut, and rub it in with a clean finger or a cotton swab. Now you're ready to put on the bandage.

Undo one side of the bandage. Place the bandage on one side of the cut allowing the other side to lay across the cut. Do not worry if the plastic and the ointment come in contact, this is fine and really isn't that big of deal. With your finger, or if you feel the cotton swab is more appropriate, smooth the band aid onto your skin. This will make sure that the band is adhered to your skin, and it's not going to go anywhere. Just to make sure, lightly tug on the bandage.

Fold the bandage over the adheased side, and pull the plastic off of the bandage. The bandage should not come off of your skin, and the plastic should come off with ease. Now pull the bandage over the wound and push down on the other side. Make sure that you pull the bandage taut before you attach it. The best way to do this is to use your thumb and forefinger to pull, and use your middle finger to smooth it down till your middle finger presses down the last of the bandage. You have no successfully put an adhesive bandage on yourself with one hand. Congratulations!