Treating abrasions: This is how you should proceed

You can easily treat minor abrasions yourself at home. We’ll show you how to treat them properly so that they heal faster.

Abrasions occur when the upper layers of skin are injured or rubbed off. These are not uncommon, especially when playing sports, falling or colliding. Dirt often gets into the wound when falling on hard ground, which is why you should definitely treat it.

Treating abrasions: First aid

If you have sustained a graze, you should definitely treat it. Be careful and thorough so that the injury does not get worse. This is what first aid should look like:

1. First, look at the wound: If it is very large or contains large foreign bodies such as stones or even shards of glass, you should have it treated by a specialist.
2. If there is only a little dirt in the wound, you can treat it yourself. First, you should wash your hands and then clean the abrasion with clear, lukewarm water. Carefully remove small particles with clean tweezers.
3. Finally, stick a plaster on the abraded area so that it is protected from external influences. By the way: Many people rely on fresh air to help them heal. However, the plaster creates a moist, warm environment that is beneficial for the wound. The British doctor George Winter had already proven this effect in the 1960s.

Important: Opinions are divided on the disinfection of abrasions: If your wound is not very dirty, the body can usually heal small injuries on its own. If there is a lot of dirt in the abrasion or even splinters in it, a doctor will take care of it and disinfect it if necessary.

Treating abrasions: The right care

Abrasions usually heal quite quickly. You can use home remedies to speed up wound healing once the wound has stopped bleeding and is superficially closed. The following tips and tricks have proven to be effective:

• Coconut oil is said to have an anti-inflammatory effect and, according to a study, improves the skin’s barrier function. To do this, apply a very thin layer to the wound two to three times a day with clean fingers. You can also make an anti-inflammatory ointment from coconut oil.

• Aloe vera also promotes skin healing. The evaluation of several studies indicates this effect. If you have your own plant at home, you can simply cut off a leaf, squeeze out the gel and apply it to the wound. Otherwise, you can also get aloe vera gel from the pharmacy. You can also freeze aloe vera gel from your plant and use it when needed.

By the way, honey has an antibacterial effect. Nevertheless, household honey is not suitable for wound care because it can be contaminated with pesticides and spores, among other things. There is medical honey that has been shown in studies to be an effective wound healing agent.

Important: Watch your wound closely. If it suddenly becomes painful again, hot or red, it could be infected. The reason for this could be that not all of the dirt has been removed or that there is still a foreign body in it. In this case, you should definitely see a doctor.

These are the things you should avoid if you have abrasions

Of course, there are also things that slow down the healing process of your skin and should be avoided. When treating abrasions, you should keep the following in mind:

• When healing begins, the skin will begin to itch. No matter how uncomfortable it is, you should never scratch the scab off. This could cause further bleeding and the healing process will start all over again. Instead, cool the area with something like a cold spoon, ice cubes wrapped in a cloth, or a cold pack.
• An unbalanced diet that is low in vitamins also slows down the healing process. A strong immune system helps to fight minor wounds from the inside out.

Another tip: If your child gets a graze, you should not blow on it. This can allow bacteria and germs from your saliva to get into the wound.

Read more on Techzle\.com:

• Razor burn: home remedies to relieve the pain
• Remove calluses: With these home remedies your feet will be beautiful
• Jojoba oil: effects and applications for skin and hair

Revised by Lea Hermann

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