Depending on several factors, the recovery speed of wounds might differ from one person to another. As well as the steps of the recovery, some people might have a wound or scratch from initial bleeding phase and after being cured, moving on to the a red-ish brown color of scab which after that usually be followed by total recovery of the skin may be within a week. However, apparently some people have to undergo a phase where their skin around the area of the wound or even in the middle if the wound turns to pale white color. Now, what is that white scab and how to avoid or cure it? Basically, reading the answers of those two questions will also answer your question, why is wound turning white?

What is the white scab on my wound and how to take care of it?

Scab is basically a natural product that our body produces to protect the wound, however different type of treatments that a person uses might cause the wound has a white scab or even a slightly gooey white scab. Your condition and immune system can also be the cause of the presence of white scab.

Trapped moisture is a very common reason of white scab, other than that, extreme exposure of thick ointment could also be the reason for people who live then but also nowadays, allergic reaction and skin infection are some other reasons that can cause a more serious effect, and the last one probably is hypopigmentation.

Trapped moisture is often caused by high level of water in your body or being in contact with your body. People who usually let the wound being indirectly rinsed by water during shower have the highest risk of getting a white scab because of trapped moisture. Remember that scab that our body produces is not something that is impenetrable, so there is always risk of water getting in between the newly form skin and the hard surface of the scab. The indication of white scab that is caused by trapped moisture such as the white-ish color usually just temporary and it will be back to normal within a day or two and also it will be normal again once you let it dry out by patting dry soft cloth around the wound site. It is important not to force to remove the white material as it could lead to permanent skin damage and the recovery process starts all over again.

Usage on ointment

If you are picturing your grandmother or may be your great grandmother, can you recall the scent of their body? Some might have a specific traditional ointment scent that cling on their body so every time you smell that scent, you will remember them. That might be romantic and sentimental at a point, but if it is for your wound, it is way far from romantic. Applying too much of thick ointment can cause your wound does not have a good air circulation that is believed by the experts to be one of the most important factors for wound healing process. The right ointment can be a perfect medicine, especially since most of ointment are made of herbal and more natural ingredient, this could be a better medicine with less side effect. However, the wrong ointment can only make your wound not healed properly. If you are currently experiencing this situation, the best and easiest way that you might want to do is to discontinue the use of such ointment. Furthermore, if it gets worse, probably it is also a sign that you are having an allergic reaction to that specific ointment and you might need to see your doctor and check if taking antihistamines is an option for your condition.

Skin infection is a respond from your body’s immune system to a bacteria or germs that come in contact with your wound. If this happen your wound will show some characteristics such as your wound might turns red and become hot when you touch it, a white yellow-ish pus may ooze from underneath your scab and that could make your scab look a bit white. While the other white scab causes can be treated with a considerably easy way, but skin infection is something that you don’t want to take too easy. Antibiotic is needed and a sampling from the tissue of your wound might be needed to be taken to check what type of antibiotics is suitable for your infection. At this stage, medical assistance might come in handy.

The above points conclude the causes of why your wound is turning white. However, should your wound is turning white and it has been there for sometimes and none of the above points matches your condition, seeing your doctor to check is always the best option eventually.