Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 4: Cleaning the wound
• Part 2 of 4: Healing the wound
• Part 3 of 4: Healing Fast
• Part 4 of 4: Handling Severe Cases
• Tips
• Warnings

The skin is the largest organ in the human body. When the skin is cut, complex biochemical processes begin to occur in the body, aimed at tissue repair. Treating cuts with natural herbal antiseptics and ointments can speed up the healing process and reduce the chance of scars. In this article, we'll show you how to cleanse and heal cuts.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Cleaning the wound

1. 1 Wash your hands with soap and water before handling a cut. This will reduce the risk of wound infection.
   • Wash your hands with warm water and dry them with a clean towel, preferably a paper towel.
   • If you cut your hand, try to prevent the soap from getting into the wound and causing irritation.
2. 2 Wash the wound with mild soap and water. Place the cut under a stream of warm water, then dab just a little mild soap on the affected area. Blot the area around the wound very gently, then wash off the soap with lukewarm water. This will remove dirt that can cause infection.
   • Check for foreign particles in the wound - in this case, remove them. To remove dirt, use tweezers, which should be previously disinfected with alcohol.
   • This natural cleansing should be sufficient if you have a small cut that can be healed at home.
   • If you have a deep cut, see your doctor. He will rinse the wound with a special solution.
3. 3 Stop bleeding. If the wound still bleeds after you have washed it, apply sterile gauze (bandage) over it and press down (no fanaticism). You do not need to rub the wound with this, otherwise it will open. Once the blood has stopped, the gauze can be removed. After that, apply a bandage to the cut, again, in the form of gauze or bandage (the main thing is that they are sterile).
4. 4 If possible, flush the wound again with saline solution to clean it and prevent infection. Use 0.9% saline solution. Saline in this regard is the safest option ..Saline is a 0.9% saline solution called isotonic because the concentration of salt in it is similar to the concentration of salt in the blood. Use saline solution every time you need to cleanse the wound.
   • To make your own solution, dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 250 ml boiling water. Let the solution cool, then rinse the wound and gently blot it with a cotton swab.
   • Always use fresh saline to flush the wound. The bacteria will start in the saline solution 24 hours after it has been prepared.
   • Always clean and disinfect cuts. Do this at least once a day until the cut heals. If the wound is red or inflamed, see your doctor.
5. 5 Do not use hydrogen peroxide or iodine. While hydrogen peroxide is generally recommended for wound care, it is actually not very effective at killing bacteria. What's more, hydrogen peroxide slows down the healing process and irritates the wound. Iodine also irritates cuts.
   • It is best to use clean water or saline to flush wounds.

Part 2 of 4: Healing the wound

1. 1 Use an ointment containing colloidal silver. Silver is a natural antimicrobial agent and has been used since ancient times. An ointment containing 0.5% –1% colloidal silver will reduce the risk of infection. You can buy this ointment at most pharmacies.
   • Apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment to the cut and then cover it with tape.
   • Note that antibacterial ointments will not speed up wound healing. But they prevent infection of the cut.
2. 2 Use a natural antiseptic. Some herbs are natural antimicrobial agents that help prevent cuts from infection. Some herbal products can interact with other medicines, so check with your doctor or pharmacist before using them.
   • Calendula. Calendula has antimicrobial properties and speeds up healing. Apply an ointment containing up to 5% calendula to the cut. Animal studies have shown that this concentration promotes faster healing.
   • Tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent. Place a few drops of 100% tea tree oil on a cotton swab and apply it to the wound.
   • Echinacea Echinacea promotes wound healing only during periods of severe stress, when a person does not experience it, echinacea is ineffective. Either way, you can try using an ointment that contains echinacea.
3. 3 Use aloe to heal small cuts. Apply aloe vera gel to the shallow wound several times a day. However, if you have a deep wound, do not use this remedy as it slows down healing.
   • Aloe reduces inflammation and moisturizes the wound.
   • In rare cases, there is an allergic reaction to aloe vera. If your skin is red or irritated, stop using aloe and see your doctor.
4. 4 Use honey. Honey has antibacterial and moisturizing properties. Look for Manuka honey, which is the best honey for healing wounds.
   • Apply a thin layer of honey to the wound (after cleaning it) and then cover the cut with tape. Change the patch regularly.
   • You can also use coconut oil, which has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties.
5. 5 Protect the cut. After applying the remedy to the wound, bandage the cut and secure it with a plaster. Use a sterile bandage or gauze as a bandage. Protect the cut until the wound heals.
   • If you need to change the dressing, remove it, rinse the wound with saline, pat it dry, apply a healing agent, and then put on a clean dressing.
   • Change the dressing daily or when the wound bleeds.
   • Always wash your hands before changing dressings or touching a wound.

Part 3 of 4: Healing Fast

1. 1 Eat more protein foods and vitamins. You can speed up wound healing by increasing your intake of protein and vitamins that promote skin regeneration, especially vitamins A and C. Zinc has a positive effect on wound healing. If you don't get enough nutrients, the healing process will slow down. Include the following foods in your diet:
   • Protein: Lean meat (chicken and turkey) fish; eggs; beans;
   • vitamin C: citrus fruits, melon, kiwi, mango, pineapple, berries, broccoli, peppers, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower;
   • Vitamin A: Eggs, fortified breakfasts, orange fruits and vegetables, broccoli, spinach, dark leafy vegetables, and cod liver
   • vitamin D: fortified milk or juice, fatty fish, eggs, cheese, beef liver;
   • vitamin E: nuts, seeds, peanut butter, spinach, broccoli, kiwi;
   • zinc: beef, pork, lamb, chicken, nuts, whole grains, beans.
2. 2 Use green tea extract. It speeds up wound healing. Buy a 0.6% green tea ointment.
   • You can make your own ointment by mixing green tea extract with petroleum jelly.
3. 3 Use witch hazel to relieve wound inflammation. Witch hazel is a natural anti-inflammatory that helps relieve inflammation and reduce redness (when wound heals). Apply witch hazel to the cut with a clean cotton swab.
   • Witch hazel can be bought at a pharmacy.
4. 4 Drink plenty of water. Drink at least 250 ml of water or soft drinks (no caffeine!) Every two hours. This will replenish fluid lost in your body from sweating (if you have a high fever) or bleeding. Dehydration can cause the following complications:
   • dry skin;
   • headaches;
   • muscle spasms;
   • low blood pressure.
5. 5 Do some light exercise. This will increase the body's resistance to infection, reduce inflammation, and speed up healing. But don't put stress on the part of your body where the cut is. Exercise at least three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes. Ask your doctor if exercise is beneficial for you. Here is a list of easy, low-intensity exercise:
   • walking;
   • yoga;
   • work with light weights;
   • cycling (at a speed of 8-14 km / h);
   • swimming.
6. 6 Use ice if swelling or inflammation persists or is uncomfortable. A cold temperature will reduce pain and stop bleeding.
   • Soak a towel and place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.
   • Place the icy towel in a bag and place it over the wound.
   • Do not apply ice to open or infected wounds.
   • Do not apply ice to your skin to avoid damaging it.
7. 7 Use a humidifier. The moist environment speeds up wound healing. Use a humidifier to increase the humidity in your environment and prevent your skin from drying out and cracking. Make sure the humidifier is clean to avoid the spread of bacteria and infection of the wound.
   • If the humidity level is too high, mold and mites can develop.
   • If the moisture level is too low, your skin will dry out and irritate your throat and nose.
   • Measure the humidity with a hygrostat, available from hardware stores or specialty stores.

Part 4 of 4: Handling Severe Cases

1. 1 Determine how deep the cut is. Examine the wound carefully to assess if you need to see a doctor or if you can heal it at home. If the cut is very deep, see your doctor. If the wound is severe, stitches may be needed. Contact an emergency room if the following symptoms are present:
   • muscles, adipose tissue are visible;
   • the wound remains open even when you remove the tampon;
   • the wound is located on the face, near the joint, where it will not heal properly without stitches;
   • there is dirt in the cut that cannot be removed on your own;
   • sensitivity is increased at the site of the cut, a thick, grayish liquid of a creamy consistency oozes from it;
   • bleeding cannot be stopped after 20 minutes of pressure;
   • body temperature exceeded 37.7 degrees;
   • red streaks appear next to the cut;
   • you have not had a tetanus shot in the past five years and the wound is deep;
   • the cut is open and the artery is damaged; the blood from the artery is usually bright red and gushes strongly.
2. 2 Stop bleeding. Regardless of the depth of the cut, the first step is to stop the bleeding. Apply a sterile bandage to the wound and hold until the blood stops. Once you stop bleeding, you can continue to clean the wound.
   • Don't press too hard. Pressing too hard can only exacerbate the problem.
   • If blood seeps through the bandage, place another on top to absorb the blood.
   • See your doctor if the bleeding is too severe and pressure cannot stop it.
3. 3 Use the tourniquet only in very serious cases. Use it only when you are losing an alarming volume of blood. Improper application of the tourniquet can cause serious injury to the limbs and may even lead to amputation.

Tips

• Do not remove scabs. They have to fall off naturally.
• Try to keep the skin around the wound moisturized, as dryness will cause the scabs to flake off, impairing healing efficiency (resulting in scarring).
• Use petroleum jelly whenever possible.
• Avoid touching the wound too often to speed up the healing process.
• Do not use perfumed ointments or products that contain chemicals. A face or body cream is not suitable for wound healing.
• Before using natural products, test them on an inconspicuous area of ​​skin to make sure there are no allergies.

Warnings

• If you have a severe cut or burn, do not use the methods described in this article, but see your doctor immediately.
• Protect the cut from exposure to sunlight, as scars may form (especially if the sun has been on the cut for more than 10 minutes).