Bandage

This type of bandage is capable of shortening around the limb after application and is therefore not exerting ever-increasing pressure during inactivity.

Conversely, the stability of the bandage creates a very high resistance to stretch when pressure is applied through internal muscle contraction and joint movement.

The Boy Scouts popularized the use of this bandage in many of their first aid lessons, as a part of the uniform is a "neckerchief" that can easily be folded to form a cravat.

It is used to hold dressings or splints on to limbs, or to provide support to sprains and strains, so that it stops bleeding.

A new type of bandage was invented in 2016; inspired by the art of kirigami, it uses parallel slits to better fit areas of the body that bend.

Achilles bandaging Patroclus . Tondo of an Attic red-figure kylix , ca. 500 BC, from Vulci .
Bandage wrapped around a woman's head, secured with surgical tape
Bandages are also used in martial arts to prevent dislocated joints .
The double-spica bandage used on thigh injuries in ancient Greece
Short stretch compression bandages are good for protecting wounds on hands, especially on fingers.