After Nicholas’ collision with the floor the other day, and the subsequent wound on his chin, I purchased a box of the Nexcare Waterproof Bandages (he’s still drooling while teething) to keep the area dry. When I took the bandage off last night, everything looked fine … but this morning he has a red welt around the wound, in the shape of the bandage! I’m assuming this is an allergic reaction to the adhesive.
I’ve never seen this before, so I’m not sure if I should do anything about it (other than stop using those bandages on him). Anyone with more experience have an opinion? Are there any good brands of hypo-allergenic bandages on the market (in Canada) that are good for using on small children?
I had the same reaction with Elastoplast with my son in South Africa. Did a little search and found references to this occurring occasionally. It appears to be either lanolin or latex in the adhesive that is the offending ingredient.
Sorry cannot help other than that the non-elastic plasters appear to be fine.
We discovered Eden’s adhesive allergy in the hospital when they attached the baby alarm to her leg — just like Mommy, alas.
Tegaderm is probably a good bet — another 3M product. When my husband was doing a lot of post-op wound care, these were a favorite. They aren’t cheap, but they are awesome. I once had a second degree burn that he put a Tegaderm on, and it didn’t even scar.
In Canada: http://solutions.3m.com/wps/portal/3M/en_CA/Nexcare/Home/Products/FirstAidSupplies/Dressings_WoundClosures/TegadermTransparent/
Good luck!
Shelley, is the tagoderm yuou recommend readily available? I do’t recall ever seeing it on the shelves. I’m having a pocedure this afternoon so would be happyto hear from you.
Great info – thanx!
I’m an adult and I seem to have this allergy as well. Every time I put on a cloth bandage I get red itchy skin where the glue was, the most recent of which was Elastoplast. It doesn’t happen with the plastic bandages. Does anyone know what is in the adhesive that can cause this? I do not have a latex allergy so it must be something else they put in.
I have had many bad reactions to bandages and tape on my skin. It always happes where the glue touched the skin area. Hypo alergenic tape – like used in hospitals causes my skin to react the same way. I was told by a doctor that I had an allergy to non breathing tape – anything that does not let air get to my skin – another doctor told me it could be realted to skin asthma – which also causes dry skin and dermatitis.
If i leave a plastic bandage on longer than 24 hours I have a mild reaction.
When you remove the bandages make sure you clean the skin to get all the adhesive off – it lessens the reaction. The only thing that reduces the inflamation quickly is a prescription cortison cream.
I have found that medical staff in hospitals and doctors offices tend to ignore you when you save you have this allergy so you have to be insistent – no adhesive tape of any kind.
The doctors all called my crazy when I told them no adhesives of any kind. It doesn’t matter if it is latex or cloth, hypoallergenic, or normal ‘gauze tape’… if it is sticky, my skin will break out worse than with poison ivy.
Then I had a tumor removed and the doctors coverd the area (my whole right side) in bandage tape. They wrapped it nearly entirely around my body to hold the cotton in place over the wound. As I was uncontious at the time… I couldn’t stop them. All three doctors seeing to me were mortified when they saw me two days later. I was all red, swelled out, and the bubbles all looked like a perfect imprint of every single one of the bandages. The only area spared was the area around the tumor as it had been covered with fresh cotton squares and the adhesive did not touch my skin. I had begged the hospital for anti itch lotion or SOMEthing but was told they could put nothing near the wound and to ‘quit whining’. I was only 13 at the time.
The only common ingrediant my doctor and I could come up with was the some type of Sulfate or Sulfite placed in the adhesive. I can not come in contact with Lanolin at all (even the so called ‘medical grade’ cause horrendous hives) and many ’sulfate’ containing bath products give me a mild skin reaction that fades after a few hours. If I peel shrimp I have to wash my hands thoroughly else they swell and break out. I get athsma like symptoms from fruit jiuces and some sodas, which my doctor also blames on the same allergy.
It stinks, but all I ever use are ace bandages for large areas (arms, legs, torso) and strips of clean cotton or gauze with tape over it for small areas (fingers, toes) such that no adhesive touches my skin.
I finally thought to Google this topic and found your website! And I thought I was crazy, but it looks like there are others who suffer from the same allergy!
Four years ago I had a small operation on my lower back after which I had a small square of gauze and a bigger square of Elastoplast applied. The dressing would have been on for five days and I had no idea I had an allergy. As you have described, it wasn’t until everything had been removed that a perfectly square irritation appeared, and boy – it itched like crazy.
Just this week I have had some taping put on a saw knee, but this time we thought to put a soft tape underneath. I didn’t realise that the Elastoplast tape was slightly overlapping, and I now have a small ring of irritation around my whole leg.
Even small fabric band-aids have the same effect, as I have recently put one of them on a paper cut on a finger and had a perfect ring of irritation around my finger.
It’s just incredible – I am not allergic to anything on the planet (other hard work and late nights)!
Just like Richard before me, i googled the topic and found this discussion. Im having physiotherapy with my knees.. my physio suggested he taped my knee in the hope it would relieve some of my pain and asked if i am allergic to anything and as far as i know, im not. He put a sort of white sticky bandage across my knee and then strips of elastoplast over that to hold bits of the knee in place. The first time he done it, i kept the tape on for about 4 days before it started to irritate and itch so i took it off. At my next appointment 2 weeks later, he restrapped my knee. Within a day or so it was extremely itchy where the elastoplast tape had slightly overlapped the sticky bandage stuff. So i left it another day and then took it off cos the itching was so unbearable and I had (and still got a week later) a big red itchy sore patch on the inside of my knee. im curious why this has happened! and whyso did it not happen the time before when my physio had strapped up my knee. im not allergic to anything. but i do have a form of dermatitis over my knuckles, which flares up with the cold weather. anyone got any ideas?
Hi
as many said …I found this while goolging..
My son had hypospadias surgery and the dressing has started to come off, all i see just around the dressing are white pimple like spots…Im scared to even remove the dressing.. called the doc for abt 10 times and still no reply..
Any idea what I can apply?
Same same same..
I had surgery done a week ago and Elastoplast was applied to the area. Since having the Elastoplast removed about 4 days ago I’ve got EXTREMELY itchy skin and its very red and irritated in this area.
I also am not allergic to anything else – so this was strange..
What I’d like to know is – what cream can I put on it to stop the itch and bring down the redness?? It’s driving me CRAZY!!
I too have no known allergies. Two weeks ago I had a basal cell excised by my dermatologist. He said keep it covered so I used a good size bandaid. The rash and itching from that bandaid is incredible. I have been able to leave it unbandaged and use benadryl cream. That has helped but it seems any and all adhesives I’ve tried do the sa me thing. YOu would think the dermatologist would have more insight to this problem in and avoid this type of bandage in the first place. After two weeks, I still have itching in this area.
Ditto to all that. The area around a small excision wound errupted in an itchy rash after using Flexible Fabric Tissue Flexible Band-Aids. I also get sore itchy welts on my legs from the top of trouser socks and itching from using a diaphragm. What do they all have in common?
It was two years ago when I had covered a two inch by 3/8 inch burn with a large bandaid (latex free). Within 24 hours it was very itchy and developed many little pimples. I went to the doctor, gave me prednisone to take, and within the next day my arm was oozing lots of liquid. Since then I have worn rubber gloves and broke out, and just last week I used Mr. Clean Nyplex hypoallergenic gloves(latex and adhesive free). I have rashes on both hands and wrists with the tiny pimples and very itchy. I just don’t know what I’m allergic to. Any answers would be greatly appreciated.
Oh my lord!! I feel so much better! I thought I was crazy! I have had melanoma twice and atypical moles removed a couple times as well. every time they stitch me up I am unable to keep a bandage on it. even after one day i develop irritation and it starts to itch. it lasts several days past the removal of the tape too. has anyone found any alternatives? I know I am supposed to keep it covered, but the irritation is worse than the excision!!
I was in th emergency room four days ago. They gave me an IV for fluids. When the nurse removed the IV she placed a fabric bandage on my arm. Shortly after removing the bandage, I noticed small bumps and a bandage shaped ring around the area. This is red and very itchy. I have been using Lotrimin cream. It helps sort of. I found this to be strage because this has never happened to me before. Any other suggestions?
I have also had these sort of reactions, but only on the inside of my arm where they take blood. the trouser socks thing that was mentioned, well i’ve had that to, but that’s only a little itching and i just wear footies. but this bandaid thing… it’s just so weird because i am accident prone and i used to be a cutter, so i’ve worn bandaids a lot and it’s never affected me like this before. at first we thought it was a latex allergy, but then my mom put a fabric, latex-free bandaid on it and i still have a red area and a oozing bump on the inside of my arm and i had my blood drawn last week!
I put a band-aid on my upper arm, and when I took it off, it was red and a little scratchy where the adhesive parts were. It has been over three weeks, and it’s still there, and only slightly less red. It itches a little every noow and then. I’m really puzzled with this, because band-aids don’t affect my fingers when I get a cut.
I have developed an allergy to bandages, and as I have to have a couple of skin procedures each year, it is troublesome. One dermatologist suggested paper tape over gauze, but that tends not to adhere too well. I’ll try the tagoderm suggested by Shelley, if i can find it on the shelves.
As everyone else I found this searching for adhesive allergies.
I just had my sinuses reconstructed due to sever seasonal and indoor allergies. Even though I told them I had a severe adhesive allergy… there was nothing they could do but put adhesive tape alllll over my nose and face. My nose now feels like it’s on fire and is completely broken out. They also put those heart rate monitor patches all over me so I ended up with lovely red squares all over too.
I have found that if I leave any bandage on for more than 10 minutes (even a small band aid from a blood test) I will have a rash. I know that my mother has this allergy too. The only thing I have been able to do is remove it asap, use unisolve to get alll of the adhesive off, ice it and use hydro cortisone cream.
I thought that the sulfur and shrimp interactions from Caleena was really interesting! Every once in a while I get this awful phlemy throat thing after eating. I’m wondering if I have something similar. I could never really target it to a certain food though. I’ve heard that it can be from acid reflux too. I’ll have to start trying to track it a bit better.
Be Careful never to put those bandages on him again i am allergic to most bandages and i had the same thing with the nextcare water proof ones but they were the only bandages i had so i kept using them and my skin started to sort of dissolve and then i had a gaping open wound that i couldn’t put anything on. To top it off the wound refused to heal for ages. I recently had a similar disastrous outcome with some soap on my hands. I have never heard of anyone else having this reaction. I hope you son doesn’t have this issue too but be careful.
Ditto to all the above.
I had stuck some Elastoplast fabric plaster on my leg – and two days after it was taken off, the places on my leg where it was stuck has started itching like crazy.
So much so that it looks like little red blood bubbles under my skin. All perfectly aligned where the plaster was stuck.
If this is such a common occurance why does no-one take this up with the companies to find out what the “triggering” ingredient is?
Any advice for what I can use, as it has been a week and I am still itching!
I am so happy to have found this site. I had skin surgery four months ago. When the stitches were removed, they put on steri-tape to keep the incsision closed. It was supposed to stay on for a week, but after two days, I had to take it off because big purple welts had developed underneath the tape. Four months later, my skin is still brown and discolored from where the tape was applied. If anyone knows of a product that I might be able to apply to the area, I would be very appreciative. I have been putting Mederma on my scar, and I also rub it on the area where the adhesive used to be, but the brown blotches remain. Thank you!
I just read all of the above comments and am in the same boat. My dermatologist recommended Gentian Violet. It not only has antiseptic properties, but also doesn’t need a bandage. The only drawback is the lovely dark purple color. She said most drugstores should carry it. Hope that helps some of you!
As many before me, I was googling and am so glad I found this site. I can now give the middle finger to those who comment once again, that I have weird skin, as there are many more of us!
I discovered my elastoplast allergy about 10 years ago when the back of my ankles were blistering from a pair of heels. I was given bandaids from a friend, and the next day I was left with large, angry red raised marks exactly where the bandaid was, save the middle rectangle where the gauze was. It was so itchy and shoes were a nightmare. I’ve recently been having physio for my back and the girl wanted to strap my back. Thank god i saw the tape and commented first. She put a trial strip on my shoulder, I slept with it, took it off in morning before showering thinking I was safe….and then by lunch, the familiar red welt appeared and has stayed for over a week. It was plan B for us.
There must be something else we can use. I feel for those of you who had surgery and had no choice or weren’t listened to, they obviously don’t know what it’s like. I agree, something should be done, after all it is common enough to warrant so!
I’m wondering on the sulfite comment from earlier. I seem to be blessed with extra special skin. Not only do I blush very easily, but I come out in very blotchy red patches on my neck, arms, chest and face when nervous or when drinking. They don’t itch but i’ve often been asked “did you get sun burnt?” And in the middle of winter I feel to reply, “what do you think, dumbass” After many years of testing this out (i’m a food scientist so this intrigues me), i have concluded it is worst when drinking wine. I know that white wine contains sulfites…but then I don’t seem to be allergic to other sulfite containing items. Go figure. My only other allergy is to erythromyacin.
I have recently discovered this problem. I had a two inch square leg ulcer. The medical professionals put adhesive dressings on. Within 24 hours I was being driven crazy by itching and on removing the dressing, the skin had broken out in small, white weeping blisters. I have never noticed this problem before.
The best solution has been to put a non-adhesive pad on the wound, held on by Tubifast (a stocking bandage). The skin dries out a little under it, but it works.
My nurse didn’t listen at first, of course, saying that “this only has a little bit of adhesive on…” Famous last words. They all think they know better, and hence doubled the size of my wound, and as I am slow to heal/diabetic, I am going to be like this for months.
Glad to find this discussion! I had not had a problem with band-aids until about 15 years ago. This was about the same time I ate a ‘camouflage’ melon that’s supposed to be a cross between a honeydew and a canteloupe. I had noticed that honeydew melons made my throat swell a bit and had quit eating them, but canteloupe didn’t make a reaction. I ate the camouflage melon and immediately almost couldn’t breathe at all. I took 2 actifed at once and it took about 3 hours to get to a point where I wasn’t concerned.
After that I noticed that Bandaids on any part of my body other than fingers and toes caused red welts and blisters that made the skin wrinkle up, turn brown, then scar for about a year. Soon, paper tape did the same thing, so I went to use Tegaderm.
The Tegaderm has been fine until last week. I had an iodine test and they used a Tegaderm dressing. Within 4 hours I was burning. I took it off, and had the familiar red welts. No blisters were present, but here it is a week later and the skin has already changed texture, turned brownish and is now starting to form the wrinkling before scarring.
I now have no choice of any adhesive at all.
I hope your baby does not have the same problems develop.
Bumped my shin in gym, used red elastoplast tape (never been allergic), and the wound just got bigger in the direction of the plaster with the skin coming off, I thought because of infection. Switched (by chance) to micropore (paper type plaster), got the wound stabilised and went back to elastoplast (also by chance). Same day my leg swelled up, bright red, very hot, blisters etc. Allergex (Chlorpheniramine maleate) and celestamine caused the blisters to swell and weep and each blister forms a new wound. Dr first thought major infection, minor allergy, so major antibiotic and celestamine. Also had nurse put other clear type plaster over wounds. Just more blisters. Rash spread fast to other body parts. http://www.allergysa.org/journals/nov2004/abc_of_allergology.pdf says that oral antihistamines (celestamine & allergex) don’t help, you need steriod/cortisone creams or in worst case (mine!) oral steriod/cortisone. So now I’ve a 120 prednisone(cortisone) tablets to take over 18 days. But looking much better.
So I am not the only one with this annoying allergy afterall. I developed an allergy to elastoplast about 20 years ago, before that I was fine with them. Last week I donated blood and by the time they took off the plaster holding the needle the rash had started. When the allergy first started I could used 3M micropore tape, but now if I need a plaster I just put on some paper towel held on with electricians tape which does not affect my skin. Recently I have been having a very bad reaction to insect bites with big swelling and very itchy skin and I wonder if it is connected.
Hi, My boyfriend had a knee operation and we used a Nexcare bandaid atone place on the operation site. Well when he removed the staples, wow, what a mess, the skin literally ripped off leaving an ugly wound. I just now told him about this site and what I discovered. As I write this, he is going over to his medicine cabinet to throw away the whole box of brand new bandaids.