Band-Aid is a brand name for Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become a genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States.[1]
"Band-aid" has also entered usage as a term for any temporary fix. (e.g. "Band-aid solutions were used to fix the leak.")
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The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by Earle Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, for his wife Josephine Dickson, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking.[2] The prototype product allowed his wife to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson, a Highland Park, New Jersey resident at the time, passed the idea on to his employer who then went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid. Dickson had a successful career at Johnson & Johnson, eventually becoming a Vice President at the company before his retirement in 1957.
The first bandages produced were hand-made and not very popular. By 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced the first machine that produced sterilized Band-Aids. In World War II, millions of Band-Aid bandages were shipped overseas, most of which went to the medical team. Other bandages were shipped to hospitals for people in urgent care. The original cost of Band-Aids was 2 cents for a pack of 15.
In 1951, the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced to the market. They continue to be a commercial success today with decorative themes such as Superman, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, Rocket Power, Rugrats, smiley faces, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, and Batman.
The products long running commercial jingle "I'm Stuck on Band-Aid" was written by singer Barry Manilow.
The current Band-Aid logo was designed in 2006.
Johnson & Johnson makes a variety of different products under the Band-Aid brand. These include Band-Aid liquid bandages and Scar Healing bandages. Their newest products include Active Flex bandages, which come in a variety of shapes, forming a fluid-filled barrier to help wounds heal faster. They also include waterproof Tough Strips, which have a strong adhesive, allowing for longer wear. In addition to wound treatment bandages, the company produces Burn-Aid, a burn gel which is applied as a prepackaged bandage. In order to protect the name as a registered trademark, the product is always referred to as "Band-Aid brand" and not just Band-Aid.
Manufacturing facilities are located in Brazil and China.
The adhesive used on the underside of the Band-Aid is epoxy made from the same compounds as glue. The actual bandage is made with nylon fibers embedded into medical cloth. Cotton is used as the absorption pad covered with a thin plastic sheet with holes for ventilation.
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