Abrasions, also referred as a scrape is a type of wound that commonly occurs daily. Any minor accidents may result in either superficial or deeper scrapes. When skin is scraped, your epidermis layer is commonly damaged, exposing the inner layers—the dermis or in more severe cases, the subcutaneous tissues. Since your epidermis layer of the skin acts as a barrier against the external bacteria or dirt, scrapes skin are will be more prone to infection, as a result of bacterial infestation to the wounded area. Thus, it is essential to take care of the scrapes in order to heal it faster and prevent possible infection.

Healing abrasion wounds faster

In order to heal abrasion wounds more quickly, there are some steps to elapse. Proper steps are essential to the entire wound healing, so that the risk of infection can be minimized. What you can do to heal abrasion wounds more quickly are:

• Carefully observe the wound

Wound observation is essential to any types of skin injuries. This will give you an image above the damage and thus, the most suitable treatment to perform. Although in most cases abrasions are superficial, the affected skin may also suffer from lacerations and bleeding. However, this bleeding should normally be minimal and will stop immediately. You need to concern about the wound if you see a deep laceration that might need to be stitched, and bleeding that won’t stop within the first 15 minutes although sufficient pressure to the wound site has been applied.

• Keeping the wound clean

Abrasions are generally caused by trauma that grinds the skin. In many cases, people suffering from abrasions experience skin contact with hard surfaces. Hence, cleaning the abrasion wounds are crucial, as there might be some dirt and debris attached to the wound. The advised method of cleaning abrasion wounds is by running water on it. You can use mild soap to clean the area around the wound to make sure there are no left dirt. Small particles on the wound that does not come off with water can be extracted with tweezers.

• Keeping the wound site moist

Abrasions will heal faster when kept moist, since leaving it uncovered will cause scabs to form. This will inhibit the healing process and make the wound more prone to re-bleeding and infection if it is picked at. Moist environment is perfect for faster new skin cell formation and thus, prevent bad scars. Antibiotic ointment also helps the wound to heal faster. After the wound is cleaned, apply the ointment and dress the wound with moist bandage to promote healing more quickly.

• Limiting movements

Abrasions often occur in the body parts where movements are excessive, such as the elbows and knees. During the healing process, however, damaged tissues and blood vessels need to reconnect, so that these movements might need to be limited. If you manage to limit the movements on site, re-bleeding can be avoided, so that the wound will heal faster.

• Improving the diet

Nutritious diet is essential for any wound healing, including abrasions. Diets high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and zinc are very helpful for performing faster wound healing. Fruits and vegetables containing these substances will help repairing damaged tissues and muscles, so that they heal the wound more quickly.

• Never picking at scabs

When the abrasions start to heal, scabs commonly form. Picking at these scabs is obviously tempting, but at the same time, inhibit the entire wound healing. Scabs you are picking at may still be partially attached to the wound that it can trigger re-bleeding. This will delay the healing process and restart the new skin formation process to the beginning. Hence, avoid any temptation to pick at scabs and leave it to come off by itself.

• Moisturizing the wound

Abrasions are superficial and thus, the affected area can be over-dried very quickly. This may possibly interrupt the healing process. To avoid this, it is essential to moisturize the abrasions. You can apply either plain petroleum jelly or soothing aloe vera gel. This gel will not only give the soothing feeling, but also help improving new cell formation to fasten the wound healing.