How to Bandage Without Adhesive

Adhesive tape is the default method for securing bandages. But for many patients — the elderly, those on blood thinners, anyone with sensitive skin — adhesive creates as many problems as it solves. The alternative isn't complicated. It's actually simpler.

The Self-Adhering Method

Self-adhering tape bonds only to itself. Wrap it around a dressing, and it locks where it overlaps. The skin beneath never contacts adhesive — because there isn't any.

1. Place your gauze, pad, or wound dressing over the area that needs coverage.
2. Start wrapping self-adhering tape above the dressing, with the tape making contact with itself.
3. Wrap with gentle, consistent tension — not too tight. Overlap each layer by half.
4. Continue past the dressing to secure both edges.
5. Tear or cut the tape and press the end to seal.

Where This Works

Fingers and toes. Hands and feet. Arms and legs. Any area where you can wrap circumferentially, self-adhering tape excels. It conforms to joints and continues working through movement.

For flat areas like the torso or back, you may need to combine with a tubular bandage or light gauze wrap to create a surface for the tape to bond to.

Removal

To remove, simply unwrap. Cut if needed to start the unwrapping process. The dressing beneath lifts off cleanly — no skin cells come with it, no trauma occurs.

When to Change

Self-adhering tape can stay in place for days if the underlying dressing doesn't need changing. It breathes, stays secure, and doesn't deteriorate. Change based on wound care needs, not tape failure.

For daily dressing changes, unwrap, replace the dressing, rewrap with fresh tape. The simplicity compounds over time — less pain, less damage, faster healing.