If you have a small cut then you can close it with Dermabond adhesive. You can use superglue if that is all you have. Dermabond costs more. Superglue is more readily available and dries faster. Dermabond will be less irritating and is approved by FDA.
When you have a wound on your face, extremities, or torso, the doctor will have to close it using an adhesive. Closing the wound prevents massive blood loss and shields you from other infections.
There has been a never-ending debate on the efficiency of dermabond as compared to that of superglue. Here, we analyze every aspect of the two adhesives.
What is the Difference Between Dermabond and Superglue?
Super glue is also known as crazyglue and has a chemical formula of methyl 2-cyanoacrylate and ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate. Dermabond on the other side has a chemical formula of 2-octyl cyanoacrylate. Even though the two might be similar in how they work, they have different compounds.
Uses of Dermabond
You can only use dermabond to close your wound under the following conditions:
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Wounds that are contaminated and show obvious signs of infections.
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Wounds from bites, punctures of crushes
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Jagged or stellate lacerations
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Wounds on the areas of your body that have high moistures such as the armpit and the groin.
Dermabond is approved by the FDA and can be used to replace sutures that are smaller than 5-0.
Advantages of Using Dermabond
Dermabond causes less irritability and can provide water-resistant courting thereby doing away with the need to remove the suture. Other advantages of using dermabond for your wounds include:
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It facilitates faster bonding. The maximum time that a dermabond can take to achieve its full bonding stress is two and a half minutes.
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It is a perfect choice for repairing a wound if time is a factor.
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The strength of a dermabond can be compared to that of a healed tissue seven days after repair.
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Its application is easy and does not require needles.
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It is friendly for most patients including children.
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Its long-term cosmetic outcome is top-notch.
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Prevents dust and dirt from getting into the wound.
The Cost of Dermabond
While it is true that the services offered by dermabond are high-quality, its general cost is equally high. A quality dermabond costs around $25 and comes with a shelf life of about 2 years.
As compared to sutures, which cost around $6 per package, opting for dermabond to close your wound is costly.
Superglue costs about $1 per tube.
How Superglue Works
You can use superglue to cover your wounds and stop the bleed. However, being a cyanoacrylate adhesive, superglue can cause damage to the tissues around the wound.
The Advantages of Using Superglue on Cuts
Apart from reduced scarring, using super glue on cuts has the following advantages:
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It stops the bleeding quickly and dries fast
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It stays in place for a long time.
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When the superglue wears off, chances are your cut or wound would already be healed.
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Keeps dirt and dust out of your cut.
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Its cheap.
When not to Use Super Glue
Even though superglue works perfectly in healing small wounds and cuts, you should never use it under the following scenarios:
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Jagged wounds
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Wounds caused by animal bites
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Scars caused by burns
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Wounds in sensitive areas such as the eyes and genitals.
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Do not use on your body parts with stretched skin such as the forehead
Dermabond vs Super glue: Which one is Better?
Both adhesives can stop bleeding, dry faster, and do not peel easily. However, superglue is very much limited because of its ability to cause burns and irritations. On the other hand, dermabond is very expensive.
For superglue, you have to find the one that is formulated for medical use and not the normal hardware glue. Dermabond has been approved for use by the FDA and is safe for everybody’s use including children.
Whether you pick superglue or dermabond will depend on how much you are willing to spend on the adhesives, their availability, and the type of wound or cut to be treated.
After looking at the features of both dermabond and superglue, it is clear that the former is safer and offers diversity. Dermabond, even though costly, can be used to heal any type of wound or cut. Superglue on the other side is limited in its operations.
There are no known adverse side effects for dermabond. However, superglue can cause heating and irritation around the affected area.
Overall Demabond is better choice but you can use super glue if that is all you can find.
