Guides

How to restock a first aid kit without wasting money

Check dates twice a year, replace what you used, and stop buying whole new kits.

What to actually keep in a home first aid kit

Most bought kits are padded out with things you will never use. This is the list that earns its space.

Pack of 10 or pack of 60? The maths

Unit price varies more across pack sizes than most people realise. Here is how to compare properly.

Every dressing size explained, and what each is for

A plain-English walk through the range, from fingertip plasters to post-operative covers.

Bruises: what helps, what does not, and what to watch for

A bruise is bleeding under intact skin. Cold early, warmth later, and patience in between.

Insect bites and stings: what actually needs treating

Local swelling is normal. Difficulty breathing, or swelling away from the site, is an emergency.

Sunburn aftercare, and when it needs more than cream

Most sunburn is managed with cooling, fluids and time. Blistering sunburn is a partial-thickness burn.

Steam and oven burns in the kitchen

Steam carries far more heat than dry air at the same temperature, which is why it burns deeper than people expect.

Animal scratches and bites: why these are different

A puncture from a tooth looks trivial and carries one of the highest infection rates of any wound.

When a wound will not stop bleeding

Direct pressure, held long enough, controls the large majority of bleeding. Most people do not hold it long enough.

Shaving cuts: stopping the bleed and avoiding the next one

Facial cuts bleed out of proportion to their size because the skin there has a rich blood supply.

Trapped fingers and nail injuries

Blood under a nail is common and usually manageable. Deformity, or a nail lifting at its base, is not.