Super glue / skin splits?

I know this topic has been brought up before but I have a couple questions for those who’ve done this before. I have a pretty painful deep split in my finger that hurts a lot when I bend and straighten my finger as it opens and closes. I’m on a climbing trip right now for the weekend and I’m wondering if it’s best to super glue it shut, or just try cover it with bandaids and tape. I only have gorilla glue brand super glue, and I’m only climbing for two more days. Do you think there’s any harm in using the gorilla glue? If not, when applying it do I apply it when the split is shut, or should I have my finger straight so the split is open and then squirt the glue in? I’d definitely like to climb more but if the glue may cause healing complications I may just take it easy instead. Any insight here is hugely appreciated. 

Ben E wrote:

I know this topic has been brought up before but I have a couple questions for those who’ve done this before. I have a pretty painful deep split in my finger that hurts a lot when I bend and straighten my finger as it opens and closes. I’m on a climbing trip right now for the weekend and I’m wondering if it’s best to super glue it shut, or just try cover it with bandaids and tape. I only have gorilla glue brand super glue, and I’m only climbing for two more days. Do you think there’s any harm in using the gorilla glue? If not, when applying it do I apply it when the split is shut, or should I have my finger straight so the split is open and then squirt the glue in? I’d definitely like to climb more but if the glue may cause healing complications I may just take it easy instead. Any insight here is hugely appreciated. 

Glue helps a ton with splits in my limited experience. I think my procedure was to get a little glue in the split and then curl my finger a bit to close the split. Gorilla brand should work the same if its cyanoacrylate, but I'm no doctor or chemist. Def make sure you don't use traditional Gorilla glue. YGD

Splits self perpetuate and resist healing because any movement flexes the split. Super glue can help be stabilizing the split and surround skin, which allows it to heal. The technique I use is to build up several layers, eventually filling in the split and covering the surrounding skin. On splits, I do not try to "glue it shut." On the first application, extend the joint to get glue into the split as much as possible, then hold your finger at a neutral, slightly bent relaxed position. Leave iy like this for subsequent layers. When I am trying to climb on a deep split, it takes probably 4+ applications to get it built up the way I want. Thin applications are better than one thick application. Then tape, if it's a big split. If it's either a hard location to tape, or a shallow split, or I'm not climbing much volume, I might skip the tape.

The best brand BY FAR is Loctite Ultra Control Gel. This specific one dries somewhat flexible, and it also bonds very strongly with itself. 

Cyanoacrylate based glue should be fine. Tissue glue from the pharmacy is cyanoacrylate based just like superglue last I checked, but you can get stuff from the pharmacy that has antiseptics in it as well.

A quick search on the googler might be a better resource than MP for medical advice. But then, I have had cancer ever since WebMD came online.

My quick search says that you should stay away from certain super glues. Some work fine and some are made for the ER (version of Dermabond). The nature and location of the cut is an important consideration, obviously.

I use New Skin, or any generic, plus tape.

From the web so double-check:

For your tool box:

• Super Glue
• Krazy Glue

For your first aid kit:

2-Octyl-cyanoacrylate

• Dermabond
• SurgiSeal

N-2-butyl-cyanoacrylate

• Histoacryl
• Indermil
• GluStitch
• GluSeal
• LiquiBand

2-Ethyl-cyanoacrylate

• Epiglu

Or just stitch it up.

What my doctor (who was a former climber) told me when he stitched up my hand.  granted this was a deeper cut which required stitches.  i’m not sure how deep your skin splits/cuts are.

i told the doc that i really wanted to climb as a soon as possible.  i asked if i could just super glue the cut closed again if i popped the stitches. 

his words, “ I know you want to climb again but trust me don’t do it.  your cut is now healing from the bottom of the cut, up towards the surface of the skin.  if you tear the cut open again, it will heal from the top down, and take 3x as long to heal.  I know it sucks but just let it heal.  this will be the quickest way for you to get back to Climbing.”

it’s your hand, do you whatever you want.  just sharing my experience.

BryanOC wrote:

What my doctor (who was a former climber) told me when he stitched up my hand.  granted this was a deeper cut which required stitches.  i’m not sure how deep your skin splits/cuts are.

I'm willing to bet the OP doesn't require stitches... 

Have you ever had a split from climbing? Although every split is unique like a snowflake, they basically all have about the same depth/severity. It is not hard to generalize about them at all. 

Teton Climber wrote:

A quick search on the googler might be a better resource than MP for medical advice. But then, I have had cancer ever since WebMD came online.

My quick search says that you should stay away from certain super glues. Some work fine and some are made for the ER (version of Dermabond). The nature and location of the cut is an important consideration, obviously.

OP isn't talking about cuts, but I'm curious about the statement in bold. Did you find any reason why you should stay away from certain types of CA glue? Is there some claimed health concern? That would go against pretty much everything I've heard up to now, so I am skeptical. 

Where is the split, btw? Specifically?

Thanks everyone for the replies. Didn’t have much service over the weekend, but ended up just using a bandaid and taping it up without super glue, and only climbed one more day. Seems like everyone had a different opinion on using the glue. Ended up healing on its own, but definitely am picking up some liquid skin to keep on me in the future.