How to Treat Small Wounds and Skin Scratches

In everyday life, you may have minor injuries or abrasions to your skin. For example, falling from a car can cause a knee injury, placing elbows on a rough surface can cause skin abrasions. Such injuries usually do not damage the skin and are not too serious. You can easily treat wounds at home with a few simple ways below. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Table of Contents

Clean wounds or scratches

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Wash hands with soap and water. Before treating your own or someone else’s wound, wash your hands with soap and warm water. If you are treating someone else’s wound, you should wear disposable gloves. ^{[2] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to source} Non-latex gloves should be worn as some people are allergic to latex.

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Stop bleeding. If the wound or scratch is still bleeding, you should use a clean towel or cotton swab to gently dab the wound, then raise the injured body part to stop the bleeding. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} Blood usually stops after a few minutes. If the bleeding continues after that time, then the wound has become quite serious and you should see a doctor immediately.

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Clean wounds or scratches. Wash the wound with clean water and soap. You can also use a clean towel. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source} Efforts should be made to remove visible dirt and wash gently to prevent further injury.

Sometimes you need to use sterile tweezers to clean the dirt in the wound. If all dirt or other objects cannot be removed, see a doctor immediately. ^{[5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
Strong substances such as iodine or hydrogen peroxide should not be used. These substances can cause severe skin damage. ^{[6] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Bandage

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Use antibiotic ointment. Apply a small amount of ointment to the cleaned wound. Ppysporin or Neosporin are both good topicals that can fight infection and help the skin heal. ^{[7] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Stop applying antibiotic ointment if a rash develops. ^{[8] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Bandage. Use a sterile dressing to keep the wound from becoming infected. You don’t need to do this step if the wound is too small. Example: If the skin is only slightly scratched, there is no need for a bandage. In fact, leaving the wound open can speed up the healing process. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Change the bandage regularly. If the wound has been bandaged, it should be changed every time it gets wet or soiled. Usually a new dressing should be changed at least once a day. If the wound has crusted over or healed, no dressing is needed. At that time, leaving the wound open for fresh air to blow in can help the wound heal faster. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Steps

Clean wounds or scratches

Bandage

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