Super Glue for cracks?

[Pariah]

My MD (an ex-Derm, now GP)suggested that I use Super Glue for relief with the PPP's painful, bleeding cracks on my hands and feet. He stated that he could Rx a very expensive "medical" version " of Super Glue or I could use the OTC glue itself. (No insurance and no national heathcare.) As we all know, one thing may work at one point or for one person and then not work later for the same or another person. My pustules are turning orange underneath the skin rather than heading out on the top layer for the 1st time in 3 yrs - so, there are no "active pustules" at the moment. That stated, with extreme internal and external sensitivities to meds and chemicals, I am very wary of even trying this! I have all kinds of questions of anyone who has tried using Super Glue:
1) Will the glue cause the skin to crack at the edges of the application?
2) If it needs to be removed, how can it be done without tearing live skin AND without using chemicals?
3)What happens underneath the glue, immediately and over time?
4)Do you let it wear off?
I know that SG was used on the battle field in Nam to close bleeders - but that was in battlefield ER situations. I am so tired of feeling like a treatment guinea pig, experiencing things that make it worse, that I had rather gather info before jumping to experiment with a treatment. Call it being careful to learn from experience rather than experiment!

[Uncle Matt]

This is a very interesting topic, and one I'm glad to see.

I have read elsewhere that superglue has been used to treat cuts etc.

As far as I know, it is used in the outer layers of the skin, so that eventually it grows out, and normal, healed, healty skin appears. It also provides a clean, sterile (assuming the cut is properly cleaned) environment for the cut to heal properly.

Because the superglue is so strong, it provides an effective barrier to foreign organisms. If the cut in question is a very clean cut, this effect is greatly enhanced.

Matt.

[Pariah]

Thank you for the info, Matt! Think my fear is greater than the problem now! And too, thanks for the "safety line" while I swallow before trying this!
Am going to sneak up on my feet with the SG in the morning when they are at their "quietest."  It's natural to not want to jostle the sleeping giant unnecessarily, uh?
Tho as wonderful as it was to have worn sandals for a few weeks, Psoriasis has taught me to savor those good times to get me thru the red-hot times and to inspire me to stay open to the possibilities of the future.
Facial seborrheic dermatitis has just joined my P-list and it would be pure luxury to at least be able to put the PPP on the "back burner" while I make adjustments! Hopefully, the Super Glue will enable that!  Here goes!
Thanks again for the speedy reply, the good info and support...Skin Cell is the best Skin Buddy a "skin challenged" person can have!

[Bigfoot]

I have suffered in the winter months for the last 5 years with my finger tips splitting open and bleeding the doctor describes them as skin fissures and he recommended (unofficially) using super glue he commented that the prescribed version was not a whole lot different from the over the counter type.


My experience using it is that it seems to stay on my skin about the same time that the new skin underneath needs to grow and heal the split, is does wear off when it gets immersed in water so I some times have to reapply.   It appears on the skin when dried like dried nail varnish.

Dave

[bunnie]

There is a proper medical "superglue " called thermobond. There is another much stronger one that in fact is cementing one of my teeth into my eye socket part of the structure needed to give me sight. The thermobond is a topical skin adhesive, and is a sterile, liquid skin glue that holds the edges of a wound together. The adhesive film usually stays in place for 5 to 10 days, then naturally falls off the skin. This type of adhesive cannot be used on all cuts. It works best on small cuts that are not deep, jagged, or bleeding and not under a lot of tension or pressure. (An example of a cut with tension would be a cut on a joint, such as a knuckle.)
What would concern me about using ordinary superglue is that a person may have an allergic reaction to anything in a glue which is not licenced to be used on wounds. The blurb in the enclosed leaflets of medicines, is in fact the licence for that med to be used for anything stated in that leaflet, if it is used for a part of the body not mentioned, then it is unlicenced and the company is not liable. For eg. I am at present using a steroid nasal spray on my tongue. This medicine is not licenced for use in this way, but my derm assures me it will be ok. ordinary glue is also unlicenced to be used in this way on skin and wounds, so there can be no blame toward the company if you use it for this, and something goes wrong.
Bunnie

[Bamawing]

I've spilled superglue on my fingers before... *blush* does that count? All I can tell you is that yes, it'll wear off eventually, and Bigfoot's right, it does look a lot like clear fingernail polish. He's also right about the water... it looks odd, goes kinda white around the edges. It looks, really, like you could just peel it off when it does that, and sometimes feels that way too (it's hard and kinda crispy...). But don't pull on it, becuase it's stuck there like, well, superglue.

[itchychick]

I used superglue to close a cut with "crushed" edges at the bridge of my nose.  It worked beautifully and because the two cut edges were held closely together during healing, the scar was much smaller than than it would have otherwise been.   It wore off very quickly with no ill effects.

Bunnie does make a good point though... you may want to test a tiny patch of healthy skin first to check for any allergic response.

[Pariah]

Thanks, BigFoot - your added firsthand input gave me that last little inspiration to try it! With the PPP, I have multiple layers of crusting skin. Back in my younger days, I had finger tips like yours...that is Big Discomfort, esp. in the winter!

I just applied the gel version of SuperGlue since it was the only kind I had (nearest stores are 20 miles away).
I think it is going to take the gel longer to dry than the liquid would have taken.
I am glad I waited until this morning because the skin had not been stretched and the fissures were not red or bleeding.

What I did was:
1) Cleaned all PPP areas on my hands and feet with Q-tips soaked in hydrogen peroxide
    (Of course, not double-dipping the Q-tips in the bottle - used a small cup.).
2) Showered by a) rinsing first & then turned the water off
                      b) used Nizoral AD as usual: 3-4 min full strength on the PPP and then lathered what was left   
                          on my fingertips all over the rest of my body.
                          (I usually use friction+H2O rather than any soap, but with the seb derm, my MD told me
                           to use the Nizoral AD esp. on the affected areas. To time the process, I made up a 3.8
                           min. song for my grandchildren about not blowing the candles of others' out just to prove
                           who I am. I sing it with great enthusiasm and bravado which sounds awful, but it works!).
3) Pat-dried with soft paper towels and sat positioned to use the morning sunlight where I had placed more paper towels and the Super Glue.
4) Tested the Super Glue on a "healthy" area of skin on my arm, much like you would test a wood stain on 
    the bottom of a chair before you would paint the rest of it. There was no reaction - no stinging, no   
    redness! Yes!
5) I curled my toes to force more wrinkles than I would ordinarily have (easy@60YO!) and applied the gel to
    the big fissures and all of the wrinkles. I applied the gel to my thumbs and on down to the base of my
    index fingers and palms where affected by the PPP. I have let these areas dry with my fingers extended so
    I can have more use of the thumbs without the non-glued skin getting irritated by being pulled.
IT WORKS!!! This is NEAT!!! No irritation. No discomfort. Nice to feel that these areas are protected.
If anyone is interested, I'll return to report on how it wears and the effect it has on the PPP.
If I don't have any more interruptions, I am going to put on some socks, wear boots that I have not worn in over 3 years and drive to town for more Super Glue!
------------------
Oh! Bunie! Do you mean that you have a tooth which is cemented to your orbit or the maxilla? Are they using the tooth to support the orbit? Was it reached thru the alveolar or the zygomatic process? Was your sinus cavity perforated? Surely, it must have been a canine or one of those wildly elongated molar roots! But that is amazing! Why did they do that? I am very interested. I use to take/trace/prepare pre-& post-op  X-rays/models and assist in orthognathic surgeries years ago. This must be a new procedure. Interesting. If it was for optometric Tx, why was it performed via a maxillofacial procedure? Why use a tooth? Is the tooth functional? If so, how does the bone withstand the 500lbs of pressure during mastication? Oh, this is fascinating!

[Pariah]

Thanks for the additional input itchychick and Bamawing! Yeah, I realize that my "pickiness" will have to be curtailed with the SG - Ouch! I am wondering how sweat will affect the length of time it will stay on my feet. This is quite a "find!" The possibilities for mobility have me swirling in a dance of hope! If I continue to use my vinyl gloves in water, the hands should last a while, uh?
I am ready for a party!  ...no beer tho - Concord grape juice or some Reed's Ginger Brew would do fine! Even my PA isn't so bad this morning! Ah, the biofeedback of feelin' hope, feelin' good! This is the best day I have had in 3 years and I am going to milk it for all it is worth!

THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR WONDERFUL INFO AND SUPPORT!

[bunnie]

Hello again symiere , I have done a few posts on here about it. Click on my name, view last posts, and all my posts come up.
I was totally blind, blinded by my autoimmune bullous disease. I had one retina in the left eye still in tact. Although I could not see daylight, I could "sense" it. Because the retina was in tact (in that eye), have no tears at all, pioneering surgery by Chris Liu at The Sussex Eye Hospital Brighton UK, was offerred to me. It is called OOKP Surgery.
http://www.sjsupport.org/pdf/eye_info/Seminars_OOKP_PDF_5.05.pdf
There are photos of my OOKP in the Linear Iga Album. I have 6/5 vision!! (can read the very bottom line of eye chart with Long distance glasses.
The man who gave me sight... Christopher Liu.
http://www.ever.be/c_page.php?id=160
Bunnie

[Pariah]

Bunnie - I am on my way to read about your "adventure" if I can stay awake this evening!  I hope you don't mind my asking questions, but this is very interesting to me. I grew up with a blind sister and have had a long interest in the subject. I may have to wait until tomorrow tho. I have been up since 4:30AM US Eastern and I am feeling the need for some rest!
-----------------------
The Super Glue Report, Day 1:

Feet:
I am still aware that it is applied over a major fissure on my left foot, but it is not uncomfortable. I wore my NB sneakers to town today. Oh, the support of good shoes for my knees, lower spine, and hips felt so good!

Hands:
Another story. Worked well most of the day, BUT....at the base of my thumbs, at the palms, fissures have cracked in the Super Glue itself. It's a bit sore - esp. when I bend the thumbs toward the palms. I am concerned that the layers of skin underneath will follow suit and I will have a Mother of All Fissures there!
I am going to try filling in these big fissures with more SG and see if some relief will result. If I didn't use my thumbs, it would be easier. I am tempted to make some splints to immobilize them until the PPP areas calm. When the hand fissures heal, I will still have layers of dead skin though. Eventually I will develop more fissures, right? So. Do I wash the SG off at some point until more form? The dead skin has to flake off at some point; the body doesn't reabsorb dead skin. So. Exposure to the air is going to have to happen. And too, I am concerned about fungus esp. now that I have developed seb derm on my face! The Super Glue Fissure is throwing me judgement off a bit.

Hey- I am wide open for some brainstorming here! Any input anyone would like to throw out here will be greatly appreciated!

For now, I am going to join the cat and curl up for a good nap! Catch ya later!

[bunnie]

Ask away! You may ask me anything you wish. If any blind person has a retina intact , but the eye itself is dead they are a potential  candidate for  OOKP.

[Pariah]

Thanks, Bunnie! When the wind/snow flurries blow this PM, I'll come in and read. I'll post questions there to keep things on subject.

-------------------------------

Super Glue on PPP Report:

Feet:
  Great! Still aware that the SG is there over the deepest fissures in the arches, but not limping because of them! Glad I made my feet wrinkle up as I applied it and kept them straight as the SG dried.

Hands:
  Fissures in the SG are pulling the skin underneath and I still think causing additional fissures under there. Fissure lines now going in all directions and pulling the skin with sensations of needles pricking. Am keeping the base of the thumbs pulled slightly toward the palm and as still as possible. Will not reapply SG in the newly formed DG fissures or as a 2nd coating. Will probably not use SG on tender areas of my hands again. Looking forward to the SG wearing off...... very much...and quickly... even soon...er, ASAP... ...where's the hacksaw!?!


Conclusion: SuperGlue is great on the harder, flatter, less mobile areas of soft tissue, but should be avoided on mobile, tender areas of soft tissue.

[CalamityJane]

Hi symiere, only just saw this thread!

Bunnie is one miracle for sure, and one very determined and informed lady. She knows how much I think of her.

Re your PPP, there is a thread just for PPP under Skin Complaints and Skin Disorders, - Palmoplantar Pustuloris, or Pustular Psoriasis. I have PPP.

Welcome to SC and please browse our thread when you have the time, and inclination.

Jane

[bunnie]

She knows how much I think of her.

I was deeply moved by that Jane, how immensly kind of you. Your kind thoughts are reciprocated of course.
Bunnie

[Bamawing]

I'm glad to hear it's working for your feet! I've had problems (skin-related and other) on both my hands and my feet. I dunno about you, but on my feet it's way, way, way worse. you can't do anything but sit, and even that hurts/itches. The worst part of a bad finger breakout is I can't type... and even then I can hunt and peck. But when your feet are messed up, that'll ruin your whole day.

Hope it wears off soon. I think it takes about a week or so when I get it on a finger. Just *don't* pick at it! It looks like it'll peal right off like Elmer's, but if you try, it hurts.

[grannyfranny]

HI symiere,
I haven't been on here for sometime so would like to say welcome. I had pppp for 42 years but have been clear for 2 years now.

I used Super glue for years. I would use my hair dryer to make sure the area was dry. It helps if someone can help you with this part,,,,,,get the glue down into the crack and hold it together while drying it again with the hair dryer.

When the glue cracks, do it again. I tried not to walk on my feet for several minutes.

Hope this helps.
Click on my name and see pictures of my feet and read what helped me. I feel for you because I know the pain you have with this.

[Pariah]

JANE, thank you.
Yes! I will return to the PPP thread since PPP with PA are my major challenges. I'll continue to read Bunnie’s posts, of course! Her willingness to share her experience and research is a real treasure for all of us!

-------------------------------------

And thank you, too, BAMAWING!
Yes, the feet are awful! My hips and lower spine (The PA) begin to hurt if I sit or stand too long. The sciatic nerve causes my right thigh to sting if I stand or sit too long, too. If the feet are flared and/or cracking, the challenge is compounded. I HAD to find a way to deal with it. For over a year now, I use HYDROUS LANOLIN in the purest form I can find. It comes in a one-pound jar rather than a tube; lanolin in a tube has been processed too much to be effective for me; it's very thin and white. The lanolin in a jar is very thick and the yellow color reflects the truer characteristics of what sheep have to offer! Shepherds are familiar with the healing qualities of "sheep oil"  when they run their hands thru their wool to heal a cut. I have found that this thicker version of lanolin works as an antiseptic, yes, but also as an excellent barrier cream and moisturizer. I apply it to the areas on my hands and feet affected by the PPP, in all stages of the cycle, and then cover it with gauze, keeping the bandage in place with rolled gauze. I wear cotton socks in inexpensive soft clogs. The lanolin makes the socks and shoes nasty; the oily stains never completely come out, so I toss them often. I wear cotton gloves with the fingers cut off (the gloves!) over the gauze on my hands. My MD says that lanolin causes itching, but I have not found this to be the case with me. Sure it will itch if you keep an area occluded with anything 24/7! I always remove it long enough for it to breathe and dry at least 2x day and try to enjoy sleep without it.
I used this technique to break the Super Glue down. It was so good to get it off! The sheets of SG were rubbing against each other- wow! it was uncomfortable!
This is interesting tho: Although the SuperGlue hurt and I still have cracks, the skin on my hands and feet are not as inflamed! Go figure!
I only have one fingertip affected - my left pinky. Am not really a typist so I wing it anyway when typing!
I think our heads and feet are the most sensitive areas of our bodies...well, at least until something hurts someplace else!
And yes! It was soooooo hard not to PICK at it. Pain is a wonderful tool of inspiration tho, uh?

-------------------------------------------

GRANNYFANNY, Hi!
Thanks for the great hints! If I use SG again, I’ll know how to apply it better! You must be in heaven to have a 2yr respite from the PPP after so long! Did it suddenly go away? Do you think it was from something you did or did not do? You must be cautiously elated! I'll click on your pics on my way to the PPP site.
--------------------------------------------

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!

...think I need to learn how to put quotes in my text, uh? 

[Bamawing]

Ah, lanolin! I may have to invest in some of that... winter approacheth, and with it dry skin. And any kind of lotion that I've tried makes me break out. At the moment, I'm making do with white vinegar and grapeseed oil.

A lot of people are allergic to it, and that's probably why your doctor is concerned. But if you're not, GO for it!

You quote people by clicking on the little "quote" icon above the post you want to quote. It'll copy everything down in the "quick reply" box, and you can backspace any words you don't want.
 

[turtlegurl]

I'm really glad that the SG is working well for you.

I have the same problems with open fissures and sores on my hands and feet.  I have used products that are "liquid bandages" by Nexcare or Band-Aid.  These probably aren't as strong as SG, but I guess I might as well share what has worked for me.

Good luck with everything! 

[anthropositor]

I am currently laminating the space left by a large segment breaking off the upper right canine with the very cheapest cyanoacrylate I have been able to find.  This is in the mouth.  Although I am careful and use very tiny amounts, I have gotten very small amounts on the gum.  This has not posed me any evident problems.  I am cautious about how I breathe while it is setting because there are traces of fumes involved.  I have also gotten it on my fingers now and then.  This is a minor and transient annoyance.  More details in the thread Broken Fang in the General Health Section.

I would not use it instead of deep suturing of a wound, nor on active blisters or pustules.  I would coat minor surface fissuring of the skin though, provided there was no active bleeding.  I would not laminate the skin with successive layers as I am doing to build up the space in a tooth.

These remarks are not advice, just what I would and would not do myself.

[bunnie]

Hello again Symiere, you can also make quotes or just a portion or a sentence of someone's post from the post reply page.
Scroll down to the post you want to scroll from, left click to highlight exactly what you want to quote, right click copy, and paste into the reply box. Left click to highlight the quote again, and from the buttons above the reply box, click the second button from the right, on the lower row of square buttons. Make sure that the piece you wish to quote is within the "quote symbols" which appear at each end of your piece.
After you have posted , the quote will appear  highlighted in a lavender colour.
Bunnie

[Aquababe241]

My oh My - Super Glue...

You think your skin is the worst until you read some posts like this.  Then you realise you're not going through anything.

Symiere and all you people I salute you...Merry Christmas and I hope your skin heals up!!

Aqua

[Pariah]

Thanks Aqua!

I came back here to make this very clear:  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!

My MD, who has never had PPP much less eczema, was the person who told me to try this on the fissures on my hands.

It was the dumbest, most desperate, and most hurtful thing I have tried! I would not suggest this for anyone!


Some of the fissures are in the most tender parts of my hands and when filled with Super Glue, they cracked even more because I have to use my hands!  I finally caked my thick lanolin on the areas and occluded them until the glue broke down and wore off.

This may work well where the skin is taut and not deeply fissured .....and too, what works well for one person may not work at all for the next......but I'll not use this glue on anything but a cherished teacup, elephant, or vase from now on!

Hang in there everybody!
Symiere

[bunnie]

Hi Symiere, I was afraid this might happen, that was why I left a warning. The trouble is when sharing information is that a person may think their condition is really bad to them, when in fact compared to someone else their condition is really quite good, or vice versa. To use an unconventional treatment, such as this, on deep, often blood red, open fissures, is in my opinion dangerous, even proper medical thermobond would be a problem I would have thought in such circumstances. However, I have never tried it,or had need to, as others clearly have, and therefore one must accept their experiences, but I would promote extreme caution in using this for deep open fissures.
Bunnie

[Pariah]

Yes, Bunnie, you are right!

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!

AGAIN! DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
unless you really want to risk some VERY UNCOMFORTABLE skin!

Please read what was beginning to happen on Nov 6th after I applied the glue on Nov 5th despite some hesitation and lack of faith in the advice!

(I think the bad results were lost in this thread and it has bothered me that someone may just read the thread's title or miss the posts that explain what happened. That is exactly why I returned and this morning changed the title!)

The glue was suggested to me by my MD who use to practice as a Derm. Go figure!
I am not really happy with this MD anyway and am trying to find a new one for many reasons.

Pain in varying degrees and the daily tasks, the drudgery, associated with the care of our skin can drive us to desperation and impulsive decisions. When a doctor -or anyone!- suggests something that is against your better judgment - empower yourself, ask questions,  and research the subject at the least! In the USA, medicine is a business.....people are treated like cars in that it is thought that what works for one person should work as well for the next person. Some practitioners in the medical community are impatient with those of us whose bodies cannot tolerate "the norm" treatments. Keep looking! You will find someone in the medical industry to help you, that is: if you can afford it!

I use some natural things and do not insist that others try them. I have had to use "natural" years before the so-called herbal and health food shops opened as a fad because of unusual sensitivities to what seems like everything . This kind of treatment is subtle and you cannot expect one pill to do one thing for every person. It also involves taking care of the WHOLE body and LIVING a HEALTHY lifestyle. (Over the years I think I took better care of my child and my animals than myself!) We all have a voice inside that guides us if we listen.

If Super Glue worked, you'd see all kinds of comments all over this board because people were using it. All this works like the latest diet aides: IF SOMETHING REALLY WORKED WITH NO MAJOR SIDE EFFECTS AND HELPED EVERYONE WITH THE CONDITION, EVERY NEWS OUTLET AND THIS SITE WOULD BE DISCUSSING IT!

Take GOOD, CARE and  HANG IN THERE!
Symiere

[bunnie]

I agree entirely Symiere. I have just remarked on this in my post on the ppp thread.

In the USA, medicine is a business.

It is too in the UK, but not directly to the patient  as it is abroad. Our hospital County areas if you like, are "NHS Trusts", each trust holds a number of hospitals, and as a whole must attempt to keep that "trust" financially in the black. This is where it all falls down , our hospitals no longer managed by medical proffessionals but by somebody who was once in management of a superstore! Never-the-less, although this affects the patient indirectly as to hospital ammenities etc, it does not affect their rights to being offerred the very best treatment available in the country for their condition, and the best consultant to supervise it.
Bunnie
Sorry to go off topic for a bit.....

[tetrifin5]

I am a guitarist in a band with a moderate amount of touring experience under my belt and,
Every musician uses super glue at some point it is the best, and only thing when fingers and hands crack and showtimes in 5 min!

[anthropositor]

For my teeth, both the fractured upper right eye tooth and the two center most upper front teeth which had worn down to the point that there was a lateral fissure across the bottom edges, the application of a super glue gel has worked out well.  All three of these teeth are considerably stronger and less likely to fracture or wear as quickly as they would have.

I also have a molar with a chunk broken off the back side.  I would not be likely to be successful treating that tooth in this way because of its' inconvenient position.

I am using different experimental procedures to extend the life of that tooth.  It was already on borrowed time  more than ten years ago, along with the molar that opposes it on the bottom.  I still chew with those molars, and am glad that I pulled (fired) the dentist rather than letting him pull those two teeth.  No regrets.

That doesn't mean that most of you folks should try this sort of thing.  Maybe none of you should be trying it, unless you have NO other options. 

It is a challenging and complicated process though.  I do not recommend it for the typical person.  If the teeth have not been made pretty sterile and dried quite well, there could well be complications like cavities developing below the glue, or the glue only bonding for a few days before coming off in little pieces.

There is also the matter of the fumes, which do not stand out unpleasantly enough that the typical person is likely to notice them, or be as cautious about them as I am.

I am concerned about the inhalation of the fumes and the possibility of some sort of subtle damage to the lungs or even the surface of the eyes over time.  I have not noted such damage.  That does not mean that it might not happen to someone who was more casual or less skillful than I am in the procedure.  Nor does it mean that it might not happen to me after a certain number of re-applications.

When I first started doing this, the glue lasted for days.  Now it lasts for weeks on the front teeth, which take a lot of wear.  The eye tooth has now gone more than a month since the last application.  At a guess, and it is just a guess, it may go another month or two, before a new re-application is required.

I have occasionally gotten a bit of glue on the gum or on the tongue.  This has not posed a problem for me.  Super glue applied to wet surfaces doesn't tend to be around all that long.