graze on hand *not SI related* /another question
 

I fell over yesterday afternoon, and grazed both my hands. On the worst one, where about 1cm square of skin got scraped off, there's a flap of skin at the side, with some black still underneath.
What's the best, least painful way to wash it out?

warm water, low preassure.

I'd also cut the skin flap off...

Ouch no! It's not flappy enough to do that.

The dirt isn't pieces of dirt, it's more oily type dirt. Would that still work?

maybe try soaking it in a warm water and savlon mix and then gently blotting it with a flannel etc (not cotton wool as that might get stuck to the wound).

I think normally though, the body is quite good at pushing out dirt and stuff from wounds.

Thanks Charlie. :)

I only have Savlon cream. Would that work?

oh.. i found this... (its on a website for small children,... how did you graze your hands anyway?, were you skipping or something =P )

<LI class=first>Before you even examine the wound closely, make sure your hands are clean and germ free to avoid contamination. Savlon Cleansing Wipes with Antiseptic are quick and convenient way to do this and reduce the chances of infection Rinse the area by holding it under the tap or washing it with an antiseptic like Savlon Antiseptic Wound Wash*
Pat the area dry with a sterile swab. (Don't rub; cuts and grazes are highly sensitive and any pieces of dirt or grit you may have missed could cause even more damage)
Next, apply Savlon Antiseptic Cream* to protect from infection and aid natural healing
<LI class=last>Finally, apply a Savlon Advanced Plaster to protect the wound If there is bruising, hold a plastic bag of crushed ice or frozen peas against the skin to reduce the pain and swelling.

but i think perhaps you could use soap (just rinse it well) rather than wound wash.

Nope, had a tough therapy session and came out and kind of tripped over on the kerb. London paths are well dirty and ick. Lucky I was wearing dark coloured clothes.

Oks. I'll do all of that asap. Thanks. :)

mmmm london pavements!

a while ago, i was walking down this road near where i live in London, and it had rained, and the pavement was covered in actual sludge.

it was foul!

Rain is indeed a pain!
And those annoying Streetcare bods who park their trolleys in the middle of paths don't seem to help any either!!!

Is washed and creamed now. It hurts! My mum would always say that if it hurts it means it's getting better. Hmm.

If possible as well put a dressing over the wound with some savlon cream on it. This will draw out any more muck and hopefully prevent infection.

Thanks Kim.

I've got lint and an adhesive dressing over that - I'd run out of the right size plasters. I've been using calendula cream, which is similar only natural based. It's looking a lot better. I let the air get to it when I was sat here earlier not doing very much.

Lint isnt ideal as it tends to stick to wounds, so if you have some vaseline, maybe try putting a thin layer of that on too to prevent it from sticking.

Oks, I've got vaseline.
I see what you mean, but all the plasters were the wrong size..
What's the best option?

Vaseline on the lint, then savlon and place over the wound.
Not sure how to hold it in place, perhaps some medical tape if you have it?

Well, the dressing kept coming off in bed, so I wrapped a bandage around it. That didn't stay in place either. It's in such an awkward place - just above my wrist in the middle. I'm seeing my GP anyway this morning, so I'll ask her how to best dress it.

Thanks. :)

Am using a huge dressing strip. Does the job.

Another question - at what point can I stop dressing it? Because it's now starting to feel itchy and uncomfortable with the dressing strip - essentially a huge plaster - on.

Ideally it should be dresssed until the skin closes, but this isnt ideal. If you think it is healing ok and the dirt is mostly gone, then it should be ok to stop dressing it. But if it starts to show any signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, discharge, hot to touch, then you should start dressing it again.

Thanks Kim.