How to heal the skin biopsy site (photo included) - tips

Video: How to Take Care of Your Skin Biopsy Site

Content

Steps
Advice
Warning
What you need

A skin biopsy is a medical procedure that involves taking a small sample of skin tissue, processing it for testing and examining it under a microscope, to identify certain skin problems or diseases such as skin cancer and inflammation. seborrheic skin. There are many methods of taking tissue to biopsy skin, depending on the size and location of the suspected skin infection, and stitches may be required after biopsy is complete. Whether the biopsy site is large or small and requires stitches, you can heal the wound with either medical or home remedies.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Care of the Post-Procedure Biopsy Site

Determine the type of skin biopsy. Your doctor can use many different methods to take a skin biopsy, if you can determine how to take a biopsy, you will more easily treat the wound.
- A shaving biopsy uses a tool that looks like a razor to remove the outer layer of the skin, or cuticles, and part of the dermis. The shaving method does not require stitches.
- A drill biopsy removes a smaller and deeper portion of the skin than a scraping biopsy. If a drill biopsy is taken on a large patch, stitches are required.
- A biopsy removes a large portion of the abnormal skin with a surgical knife. With this method, it is often necessary to seal the cut on the skin.
Cover the wound with a bandage. Depending on the size of the biopsy site and if the bleeding continues, your doctor should instruct you to cover the wound for a day or longer. Bandages protect the wound and absorb any bleeding.
- If the biopsy site is bleeding, gently press the new bandage on. If the bleeding is heavy or the bleeding does not go away, you should contact your doctor.
Do not remove the bandage for one day after the biopsy. After the procedure you should leave the dressing that was used for the day and keep the entire area dry. This will make it easier to heal and prevent bacteria from entering.
- Be sure to keep the area dry the first day after the biopsy is taken. You can bathe and clean the wound the next day.
Change the bandage every day. You should change the protective bandage daily to keep it dry, clean, and prevent infection or bad scarring.
- Be sure to use a dressing that provides ventilation for the biopsy site. Using a bandage that allows air to circulate will help the wound heal faster, and be sure to only let the non-stick part of the dressing touch the wound.
- You can buy a bandage at most drugstores. Sometimes the doctor will even apply extra gauze to the wound.
- The average time required for dressing is 5-6 days, but in some cases it can take up to two weeks.
- Continue changing the dressing each day until you see no open wounds, or when your doctor instructs you to stop the dressing.
- Depending on how the biopsy is performed, your doctor may instruct you to stop the dressing after the first day or for longer. If stitching is required, the dressing time will be longer.
Wash your hands before touching the biopsy site. Whenever you need to touch the wound or when changing the dressing, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water to avoid spreading bacteria that can infect the cut.
- You don't have to buy special soap, regular soap is sterile enough for your hands.
- Be sure to rub your hands in warm water for at least twenty seconds.
Keep the area of the biopsy skin clean. It is important to keep the wound clean while it heals. Using water every day can keep bacteria from growing in that area.
- You do not need to wash it with any special soap. Regular soap and water are also effective aseptic for the entire wound. If the biopsy site is on your head, wash it with shampoo.
- Be sure to rinse with warm water thoroughly to remove excess soap and avoid irritating sensitive skin.
- If you find the wound is healthy and free from infection, simply changing the bandage and cleaning each day will be enough to make sure the wound is clean. Your doctor may advise you to wash with another solution such as hydrogen peroxide, follow their advice but do not use anything on the wound without first checking.
Apply an antibiotic cream or pure petroleum-distilled wax. After cleaning the wound, apply antibiotics or pure petroleum-distilled wax if directed by your doctor. Ointments help keep the wound moist and reduce the formation of a scab, which aids in the healing process. Then you can re-bandage.
- Use a cotton swab or clean finger to apply the medicine.
Avoid strenuous activity for a few days. For the first few days after your biopsy you should avoid strenuous activities like heavy lifting or anything that makes you sweat a lot. These activities not only cause bleeding and larger scar growth, but also irritate sensitive skin. You should also not do any vigorous physical activity the entire time the wound is sutured.
- Avoid bumping the biopsy site or doing other stretches, if possible, to prevent bleeding and lead to larger scarring.
Take a pain reliever. Mild pain or tenderness at the biopsy site for the first few days after the procedure is normal. Use over-the-counter pain relievers to treat pain and swelling.
- You can also take non-prescription pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Ibuprofen also helps treat swelling caused by the biopsy.
Let the doctor remove the sutures. If it is necessary to sew the biopsy site, make an appointment with your doctor the next day to remove the sutures. You must leave the sutures in place for as long as your doctor tells you to so they don't affect the healing process, and don't leave large scars.
- Itchy sutures are common, if so you can apply an antibiotic or petroleum-based wax to reduce itching and prevent infection.
- If the itching is too itchy, apply a cool wet washcloth over the area to ease the itching.
See your doctor if there are problems. If there is heavy bleeding, pus discharge, or symptoms of infection such as redness, warmth, swelling, or fever around the biopsy site, see your doctor right away. Make sure you do not let the wound become infected and cause dangerous complications.
- If the wound only bleeds a little or has pink fluid a few days later, that's okay. So how is the heavy bleeding? That is when the blood drenched the ice.
- Usually it takes several weeks for the biopsy site to heal, but up to two months.
advertisement

Part 2 of 2: Caring for the Scar at the Biopsy Site

All the wounds after the biopsy have been scarred. Depending on the size of the biopsy site, this may result in a scar that is large or small that only you will see. Take care of the wound and the surrounding skin to make sure the scar heals as small as possible.
- The scarring will slowly fade, and the color difference will only be noticeable for a year or two after the procedure.
Do not pry the skin or the wound. The skin at the biopsy site may form a scab or simply heal into a scar. Either way, you should not pry off the scales or skin to avoid adverse effects on the healing process and not create large scars.
- Pricking the skin or wound can inadvertently introduce bacteria into it and cause an infection.
Always keep skin moist. As you wait to heal, keep the area moist with an ointment or cream antibiotic. These substances help the skin heal better and do not cause large scarring.
- The best way to keep your skin moist is to apply a thin layer of an ointment such as pure petroleum jelly or Aquaphor to the wound 4-5 times per day.
- If necessary, you can apply for up to 10 days or longer.
- If you are still wearing a bandage, you should apply the ointment first.
- Pure kerosene wax or other ointment can be found at most drugstores.
Apply silicone gel to help heal scars. Recent research has shown that applying a thin layer of silicone gel can help heal scars. If you are the type of person that easily creates scarring or enlarged scars, you should consider asking your doctor to prescribe silicone gel to heal or prevent scarring.
- A full scar is in the form of a raised and red lump that can appear at the site of the biopsy or other wound. They occur in nearly 10% of the population.
- Hypertrophic scars resemble keloids, but are more common and fade with time.
- Your doctor can treat a full scar and an enlarged scar with a steroid injection.
- Silica gel moisturizes the skin, ventilates and inhibits the growth of bacteria and collagen, thereby affecting scar size.
- Children and people with sensitive skin can use silicone gel patches without problems.
- Most patients can use silicone gel within a few days after the wound is closed. If your doctor prescribes silicate gel you should apply a thin layer twice daily.
Avoid sun exposure or use sunscreen on the scar as the skin of the scar is very sensitive. Avoid sun exposure or apply sunscreen to keep scars from getting hot and minimize color differences.
- Cover the wound or scar to protect it from the sun.
- Using a sunscreen with a high SPF can help protect the scarring or biopsy site from getting hot and prevent discoloration.
Consult your doctor about scar massage. In many cases, scar massage can be started about 4 weeks after biopsy. Massage causes scars to heal more quickly and less to bulge, so ask your doctor how to massage them.
- Massage also prevents scar tissue from adhering to muscles, tendons, or other ingredients underneath the skin.
- In general, you should massage slowly in a circular motion around the affected area. Firmly massage hands but do not create pull or tear into the skin, do 2-3 times per day, each time for 5-10 minutes.
- Your doctor may advise you to apply elastic therapeutic tape over the scar as it begins to heal, such as the Kinesio Tape. The movement of the tape prevents the scar from attaching to the underlying muscle tissue.
advertisement

Advice

If stitches are required at the site of the biopsy, avoid swimming, bathing or any activity where the wound is completely submerged, until the thread is removed. Water flowing through the wound as it did in a shower should not cause any problems.
Consult your doctor if you are concerned about the condition of the injury or scar.

Warning

Contact your doctor if the biopsy site becomes red, swollen, painful, warm to the touch, or drains more than 3-4 days after the procedure. This could be a sign of an infection and antibiotics are necessary.