Bandaging Your Hand Following Injury

If you’ve hurt your hand, wrapping it can help lower swelling, limit motion, and support the muscles, bones, and joints.

Certain hand injuries tend to heal better with a bandage. These include:

• fractures, sprains, and strains
• wounds such as cuts and animal bites
• burns

Many minor hand injuries will mend on their own. More severe injuries need prompt medical evaluation.

Continue reading to learn when to bandage a hurt hand, how to apply a bandage properly, and when to get professional care.

Injuries that may need a bandage

Below are common hand injuries that often require bandaging, along with signs that indicate you should seek medical help.

Fracture

What it is: A hand fracture happens when one or more bones in the hand break. A frequent fracture is the boxer’s fracture, which involves a break at the base of the knuckles where the fingers join the hand.

When to seek medical help: If you suspect a broken bone in your hand, seek medical attention immediately.

Typical signs of a hand fracture include:

• a visible bend or deformity in a bone
• bruising, tenderness, and swelling
• inability to move the hand or fingers
• numbness in the hand or fingers
• intense pain that doesn’t improve with over-the-counter pain relief

When to use a bandage: A bandage may sometimes be used instead of a splint or cast to limit motion of a broken hand or finger.

Still, a broken bone must be properly aligned prior to bandaging. A healthcare professional can set the bone and advise on afterward care, including whether a bandage is appropriate.

Sprain

What it is: A hand sprain is damage to a ligament — the tissue linking bones in the hand — often affecting the thumb.

When to seek medical attention: Sprains are usually not emergencies but do require treatment. Schedule a visit with a clinician to learn the best care for a sprain. Also see a doctor if pain or swelling worsens.

When to use a bandage: A compression bandage can provide consistent pressure on the sprained area, reducing swelling by preventing fluid build-up and supporting faster recovery. A clinician might suggest a splint or other device to immobilize the hand.

Strain

What it is: A hand strain happens when you overextend or tear muscles or tendons in the hand. This commonly affects tendons that link wrist and forearm muscles to the fingers, often from repetitive actions like typing or mouse use.

When to seek medical attention: Muscle strains, like sprains, aren’t usually emergencies. But you may wish to see a doctor to determine the cause and appropriate treatment.

When to use a bandage: Similar to sprains, a compression bandage can help stabilize the injured area and keep pressure on it. A doctor may recommend a splint or other immobilizing device.

Wounds

What it is: Wounds such as lacerations or punctures occur when the skin is torn. Hands and fingers are often injured this way, frequently from handling sharp objects like kitchen knives.

When to seek medical attention: Many hand wounds are minor and will heal without advanced care. However, the hand contains many nerves, tendons, and blood vessels in a compact area, so even a small wound can cause significant damage.

Seek medical attention for any of the following:

• puncture wounds
• excessive bleeding
• severe pain
• large or deep cuts
• skin that is split open or torn
• debris embedded in the wound
• numbness
• inability to move the injured area
• animal bites
• wounds likely to become infected
• wounds showing signs of infection

When to use a bandage: Bandages keep minor hand wounds clean. After rinsing a small wound, apply an antibiotic ointment and cover it with sterile gauze. For tiny cuts, a plaster may suffice.

Change the dressing about once a day, or whenever it becomes damp or soiled.

Burns

What it is: Burns commonly affect hands and fingers and result from exposure to heat (sun, flame, hot liquids), as well as cold, chemicals, or electricity.

When to seek medical attention: Minor burns usually don’t require emergency care.

Get urgent medical care for a major burn on the hand. Look out for:

• a deep burn
• skin that is dry or leathery
• skin that appears charred or has black, white, or brown patches
• burns wider than three inches

When to use a bandage: Bandaging can support burn recovery. After cooling and moisturizing the burn, cover the damaged area with a loose gauze dressing to protect the skin.

Types of bandages

Different injuries call for different bandage types. Common options include:

• Compression bandages. Also called elastic roller or crepe bandages, these are long strips of stretchy fabric rolled tightly. They support the bones, joints, and connective tissues in the hand after injuries like sprains and strains.
• Gauze bandages. Technically dressings rather than bandages, gauze pads are thick cotton coverings used for medium to large wounds. They’re secured with tape or a roller bandage.
• Cotton/linen roller bandages. Similar to compression bandages, these rolled materials are often used to hold gauze dressings in place.
• Adhesive/plaster bandages. These wound dressings (like Band-Aid) come in various shapes for small wounds and have adhesive to stick to the skin.
• Tubular bandages. Tube-shaped elastic bandages that fit over fingers, elbows, or other mobile areas. They can provide support or keep dressings secure.
• Triangular bandages. Versatile cotton bandages useful in first aid; they can be folded into a sling or used to apply pressure to a bleeding area.

How to wrap your hand

Use the following basic steps to bandage your hand after a minor injury.

You will need:

• sterile gauze dressing (for wounds and burns)
• a roller bandage
• a safety pin or clips

Steps:

1. If treating a wound or burn, rinse the area and place a sterile gauze dressing over it before bandaging.
2. Open the roller bandage and start with the loose end at the inside of your wrist.
3. Wrap the bandage twice around the wrist, keeping the material flat against the skin.
4. Bring the bandage diagonally across the back of your hand from the inside of the wrist so the roll sits near your pinky finger.
5. Loop the bandage around your pinky and pass it under the fingers toward the index finger, then around the index finger and diagonally across the back of the hand to the outside of the wrist.
6. Wrap the bandage once more around the wrist, returning to the starting point on the inside of the wrist.
7. Repeat the diagonal wraps to create a figure-eight pattern across the hand and fingers, leaving about half an inch of the previous layer visible with each turn. Keep the fingertips exposed.
8. When the hand is covered, fasten the bandage with a safety pin or clip.

Precautions

When bandaging, follow these precautions to promote healing:

• Don’t make the bandage too tight. A bandage that’s overly tight can cut off circulation. To test, press a fingernail and count to five — color should return within two seconds. If it doesn’t, loosen the wrap.
• Cover beyond the injury site. Wrapping beyond the injured area helps distribute pressure evenly.
• Use sterile (new) dressings and bandages. Reusing dressings risks infection.
• Don’t bandage an infected wound. If the site is red, hot, swollen, or tender, infection may be present. Yellow or green pus, fever, and chills are additional warning signs.

When to see a doctor

If you’re uncertain about the severity of a hand injury, contact a healthcare provider to determine if you need treatment. Injuries that commonly require medical care include:

• hand and finger fractures
• hand and finger sprains and strains
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• tendonitis
• deep or extensive cuts
• puncture wounds
• severed fingers
• animal bites
• third-degree burns
• chemical burns
• frostbite

Takeaway

A bandage can assist the healing of many hand injuries. For serious injuries, seek prompt medical attention.

For minor injuries, properly applied bandaging can stabilize the area, reduce infection risk, and speed recovery.