Four tips for frugal wound care
As a nurse on a med-surg unit, I encounter and take care of wounds every day, some of them shocking in severity.
(I will say no more!)
But as a human being in possession of skin, you probably also encounter small wounds, scrapes, and cuts on the regular. And if you are a parent, this is particularly true. 😉
Soo, I thought it might be helpful to share a few evidence-based, inexpensive ways to take care of these common injuries.
As is my practice when I write on medical topics: I have credentials to speak on this to some degree, but I'm going to back up my statements with links to trusted resources! Also, I'm gonna assume we're not dealing with a bleeding-out situation here, and that you've already put pressure on the area to stop any bleeding. 🙂 These interventions are appropriate for minor injuries, and if you have a serious injury, you should probably head to the emergency department.
1. Wash with water/gentle soap, not hydrogen peroxide or alcohol
Evidence-based practice shows that using products like alcohol or hydrogen peroxide does more harm than good. While these kill bacteria, they also disrupt the biome of the skin, and they kill off healthy cells surrounding the injury.
You want those healthy cells there to aid in the work of healing!
So, just use water, or you can add in some gentle soap if you need help loosening anything stuck on the injured part.
If you absolutely feel like you want to buy something to clean a wound (old habits die hard!), you can purchase a bottle of saline wound wash, which is just salty, sterile water.
2. Keep it covered
For most of my life, I was under the impression that it was helpful to let a wound scab up.
But more recent evidence has shown that covered wounds heal faster, are less prone to infection, and are less likely to leave a scar.
One problem with letting a scab form is that the cells around the wound dry up and die. And dry, dead cells are not helpful to the healing process.
You want wet, live cells there to do the healing work for you. Also, you want the wound covered and protected to keep it from getting infected.
My favorite bandage for keeping a wound covered and moist: Nexcare waterproof bandages. These things are crazy good at staying put, even on a hand, and they stand up to washing.
10/10, highly recommend.
Evidence for covering wounds: this NIH article, in a paragraph under the Issues of Concern section.
3. Use Vaseline instead of antibiotic ointment
Again, evidence has shown that Vaseline does just as well on wounds as an antibiotic ointment does, and Vaseline is CHEAP.
Antibiotic ointments can cause dermatitis. Plus, killing all the bacteria in a wound has been shown to be non-beneficial, and it slows wound healing.
Interestingly, the main benefit an antibiotic ointment offers is moisture, and Vaseline is perfectly good at that. It will also keep the bandage from sticking to the wound.
(A peer-reviewed PubMed study on this topic.)
4. Change the dressing every few days
Until the wound heals, you can remove the dressing every few days (sooner if the dressing becomes loose or soiled), wash the wound gently, apply some Vaseline, and cover it again.
Lather, rinse, repeat until it's all healed up.
(Evidence: this National Library of Medicine specifies non-daily dressing changes for almost all wound care. Also, many of our in-hospital wounds don't get dressing changes every single day.)
So, there you go! You can skip the alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and antibiotic ointment; just use gentle soap and water, Vaseline, and keep it covered.
Cheap and evidence-based. We love that. 😉
Questions? Comments? Let me know!
P.S. I will be at work today (probably doing wound care. Ha.), but I will try to respond when I get home tonight.
Thanks!
Good to know. Thanks.
Kristen, you are right, old habits die hard. I still use hydrogen peroxide if I suspect an infection, I hope that's ok? As a teenager, I got staph infections from minor cuts a few times and I still worry about that.
Of course, you can do whatever you please. It's your body! 🙂 I'm just sharing what is recommended, based on the evidence.
If it was me and I felt like I HAD to use something to kill bacteria, I would opt for antibiotic ointment over hydrogen peroxide. That way, you aren't killing the healthy cells that surround your cut.
And if you feel the need to pour liquid over your cut, definitely consider the saline wound wash.
Useful information! Especially recent insights into keeping your wounds covered.
Vaseline is much underrated, probably because it is so cheap!
Thanks for these tips. I recently had a mole on my cheek biopsied (no worries, it was benign), and I couldn't understand why the dermatologist's assistant was insisting I use Vaseline instead of an antibiotic ointment when changing the Band-Aid. Now I know!
Yup! It's becoming standard practice now. 🙂
@A. Marie, I have trouble with this concept too, even though years ago when my mom worked for a pediatrician he always said to never use Neosporin for more than three days. When my hubby had a basal cell removed, I just couldn't believe good old Vaseline could solve the problem. Gotta roll with the times, don't we? 😉
@Kristen, I'm so happy to hear about antimicrobial stewardship being implemented, even with topical treatments! I see a lot of scary stats on resistance but don't really get any sense of how things really work in a clinical setting.
@A. Marie, Same, my husband had a Basal Cell spot and a cyst removed and was given some packets of Aquaphor which is Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) with a few other additives. When we ran out, they told us to use plain old Vaseline.
Thanks for the tips! I knew about hydrogen peroxide but not about vaseline.
These are helpful tips. I am curious to know why the body produces scub if it isn't really beneficial though?
Thank you
I imagine it serves as a layer of protection when no other protection is available, and that would be very useful in a time before bandages were readily available.
Scabbed wounds will eventually heal, of course. But evidence shows that the healing is slower and is more likely to leave a scar. So if you want a quick healing process and less chance of a scar, cover 'em up!
@Kristen,
Thank you Kristen for the speedy answer
Thank you for this info! I was literally going to put hydrogen peroxide on a cut right after I finished reading my morning blogs. 😉 I love posts like this. SO helpful!
DON'T DO ITTTT! Hehe.
Keep those healthy cells alive. 🙂
🙂 Opting for Vaseline and a bandaid instead now.
Thank you for a practical and enlightening post. When we were raising our children, in the 1960's-1970's, we were advised to clean with alcohol and use neosporin to prevent infection. While that worked for us, I think today's methods are more compatible with our body's natural healing process.
Even when my kids were little, hydrogen peroxide was being recommended. But the more we know, the more we know! Medicine is always evolving as we learn more about what works and what doesn't.
@Gerri, in my childhood, people put Mecurochrome on wounds. It had MERCURY in it!!! Thankfully, my mom was not a fan, but she would wash wounds out with Phisohex (an antibacterial solution that had hexachlorophene in it!) and then put a bandaid on. So much toxic stuff. They used to make people wash with Phisohex before surgery, too.
Although Vaseline comes from petroleum, it seems very benign compared to some of the stuff we used to use!
ohhh this is good information. my husband is a die hard peroxide/alcohol fan. can you eleborate on another post about burn care? like nothing 3rd degree anything obviously go to the hospital. but i got a burn between my thumb and first finger from gravy dripping from a wisk. it was a long time stinger and i found the wound jelly pads at walmart and wrapped the sticky bandage stuff around it to keep it on there. but i never knew if that was enough.....
I actually have little hospital experience with burn care, since we rarely get those kinds of patients on my unit. I do know that you are not supposed to put butter on burns (a common myth.)
However, a burn is an open wound, so some of these same principles will apply: don't use harsh agents like hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, do clean it gently, and do keep it clean, moist, and covered. 🙂
@Amanda, One of my sons got a nasty burn on his leg from a hot pizza slice and what really helped him was manuka honey dressings held in place with an Ace bandage. It was not healing well until we started that protocol. It healed without a scar.
Ooh, yes, the wound nurses sometimes put honey products into the wound care orders for my patients!
Kristen, it is pretty amazing how it works. Manuka honey is produced by bees who pollinate tea tree plants, and so the honey has the antiseptic properties of tea tree! I have found it at a pretty good price at Trader Joe's in the past.
@Amanda, care for very minor burns is the main reason I grow aloe vera as a houseplant. When I get such a burn (which happens semi-often since I'm clumsy), I run into my little sunroom where most of my houseplants live, clip a bottom "leaf" off one of my aloes, split the "leaf" open, and apply the aloe juice to the burn. Works like a charm.
@Karen A., I sent a very elderly aunt manuka honey for a skin tear wound (from a fall) that was not healing despite weeks of wound care. It worked miracles for her when nothing else succeeded.
@Jean C, That makes me so happy! I'm glad it helped her.
@Karen A., I never knew of that connection. Thank you
@Amanda, homeopathic remedies help. I’ve used them for small kitchen cooking burns. Cantharis or apis are top ones. Look into them if you’re inclined.
Thank you for the recommendation for the Nexcare bandages. I am constantly getting cuts and burns on my hands--mostly kitchen, sometimes garden work or dealing with firewood, etc.--and it's SO annoying how fast the bandages I have fall off. Probably because they're Walmart brand, ahem. Then again, I'm also constantly getting them wet and having to change them . . .
Here's a question for you: Yay or nay on using Super glue to seal small slit-type cuts? I do this a lot on my hands because of the aforementioned wetness making bandages problematic, and I will probably keep doing it even if it's not officially sanctioned, but don't ERs use something like Super glue too?
Yes! Get some of the Nexcare waterproof; I love them for hand/finger injuries.
My post surgical patients on my unit often have laparoscopic sites that have been closed with nothing other than surgical glue. It's nicer than stitches because it doesn't require poking holes!
Of course, the surgeons aren't using super glue; they have special surgical glue. But the good news is that there ARE over the counter liquid bandage or wound gel kits that function similarly.
While not officially recommended as a medical product, super glue can work in a pinch. Here's a Mayo Clinic article that says so! https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/should-super-glue-be-in-your-first-aid-kit
@kristin @ going country, I listen to the Medical History podcast SawBones, and they had a question about using superglue. They recommended NOT using superglue at home because it isn't sterile. They superglue-y stuff they use in a hospital is sterile. That was enough to sway me. I do keep some NuSkin on hand for the tricky between-the-finger nicks I may get that a Band-Aid doesn't cover.
I listen to Sawbones too! 🙂 My faves are their Q&A episodes; so many fun and interesting little tidbits to learn.
@Kristen, I get many tiny cuts around my nails in the winter (outside work, kitchen work, dry skin). I use NuSkin paint on wound care product and it helps. I find it at Dollar General, but it's widely available. This is a great article! Practical, science based information. Long time home health RN, have done lots of wound care in my day.
I have a question which is a slight tangent - how come head wounds bleed worse than other parts of the body?
As far as I know, it's because the head has a really rich supply of blood vessels, and many of them are very close to the skin. That makes sense, since there's not much space between the skull and your outer skin!
@Kristen, Thanks! That makes sense.
I remember seeing an old Simpsons episode where a character's wounds are cleaned with iodine. I'm guessing that's not recommended 😉
Surgeons do still use iodine and other antiseptics to clean people's skin BEFORE surgery. But that is ok because it's going on top of the skin, which is made of dead cells. And that is totally different than pouring it onto exposed live cells.
@Kristen, on the show they were pretty much pouring it onto the open wound!
@Sophie in Denmark, I'm old enough to remember the bad old days of the 1950s and 1960s, when moms and school nurses routinely cleaned children's wounds with either iodine or a nasty product called Merthiolate. Both products hurt like h**l.
@A. Marie, I bet!
@A. Marie, remember Mercurochrome for treating wounds. Removed from sale because apparently pouring mercury on a wound was a bad idea.
@A. Marie, Merthiolate was way, way worse than iodine. I remember my Mammaw having that in her medicine chest, Mom never did. Anyone remember Bactine?
Better half had a dig-out/biopsy it removed in not the too distant past. Of course on his back hence I got to be Nurse Ratchet. Evidently I used too large of a band-aid but there was no skimping on the Vaseline.
These posts are so interesting and some of my favorites. You really explain the "why" behind the medical topics so well.
Do you know if they have a Vaseline with lidocaine for wound care like the antibiotic ointment with lidocaine?
I do know you can buy over the counter lidocaine ointments; some are labeled as being for hemorrhoids, but I would imagine that if they are safe to use on such delicate tissue (!), they would also be quite safe to use if you cut your finger.
I'd just look for one that is not labeled as an antibiotic/antiseptic.
So much new info! The only one I knew was keeping the wound covered and moist.
Is it still true that burns require different care entirely?
Haha, another reader asked about burns earlier in the comment thread. Basically, I don't take care of burns at work, but as I understand it, many of the same principles apply for a small burn because it is an open wound. So, you want to keep it moist and clean and covered so that it can heal without getting infected.
But I am not at all an expert in burn specific care, especially serious burns. I know they require specialized care that involves frequent removal of the tissue on top of the burn, and it's a terribly painful process. Working on a burn unit would not be for the faint of heart.
@Kristen, I am going to add a bit here from my limited experience of treating burns post the acute stage. Scar control becomes tantamount in burn care after the dead burnt skin is carefully removed to expose new skin. That skin is different from normal skin in that it lays down in a circular dense pattern as opposed to normal skin being grid like. This requires frequent application of moisturizer, painful stretching if it’s a joint, and the application of compression garments to encourage the dense skin to remain pliable. Burn care is quite complex and so difficult for the patient.
I love Aquaphor, Vaseline enhanced with vitamin e and an antiseptic. It comes in all sizes of tubes and jars, often recommended for diaper rash. My dermatologist recommended it for my very sensitive skin issues. More expensive than Vaseline but lovely stuff.
Here's an article about Vaseline vs. Aquaphor, from a dermatologist: https://www.usdermatologypartners.com/press-media/vaseline-vs-aquaphor-which-one-is-right-for-you/
A quote: “Although they can often be used interchangeably, Vaseline is sometimes preferred in wound care,” Dr. Desai says. “In wound care, protecting the surgical site from the outside environment can be extremely important. The occlusive effects of pure petroleum jelly can help create a strong barrier between the underlying skin and outside environment (bacteria and other organisms) to prevent postoperative surgical site infection,” she explains. Research has also found postoperative wound redness and swelling decreased with plain petrolatum compared with Aquaphor."
This tracks with what I see the wound nurses do; they will use Aquaphor on skin that is not broken open, but they don't use it on open wounds. 🙂
@Kristen, Ooh, that is good to know! As I stated elsewhere, I've been using Aquaphor, but I will make sure to have both on hand. I wonder maybe if the lanolin in Aquaphor can be irritating to some people?
@Karen A., yes, the lanolin can be irritating, but the key difference is that aquaphor is both a barrier and hydrophilic (pulling in moisture from the surrounding tissue and air) where vaseline is purely a barrier. If the skin is unbroken, the goal is to hydrate the skin enough to recover, so aquaphor or a similar glycerin/petrolatum blend is ideal. If the skin is broken, however, your body is hydrating the damaged tissue from below and all you need is a barrier to stop that moisture escaping into the world, which vaseline does very well. As we know from things like trench foot, it’s possible for wounds to get too wet, and so we are looking to create a moist but protected zone around our broken skin.
As you can see, I knew about vaseline but I still feel broadly guilty about not changing my bandaids daily…so I shall now feel much more relaxed about my wound care approach!
@Jules the First, Thanks for the extra info! I hope to eventually go into wound care, so I love it when I get to learn more about the "why" of wound treatment.
@Kristen, Auquaphor is used for massage of burn injuries once the new skin is present
Thank you about the Nexcare Bandages, I have the same problems as Kristin going country.
Also just had a mole removed and this is exactly what they said to do for care.
Last thing I read years ago when you cannot stop a small cut from bleeding, for me usually a finger tip put cracked black pepper on it. Works like magic. It does sting because I think the black pepper is antibiotic and antiviral. It is cheap and natural and I have never had a down side.
You can also use cayenne pepper to stop bleeding…no, it doesn’t burn at all—-just gels up the blood. Not sure how but handy in the kitchen ?
Thanks Kristin, Teach us more.
Thank you for the Vaseline info. Several years ago my mother was seeing a wound "specialist" who insisted on using Triple antibiotic. My mother argued that she wanted Vaseline used on her wound. She changed doctors to get the care she wanted.
Kristen, thank you for this article! This is a topic near and dear to my heart. I had one kid who was constantly falling while growing up and getting nasty "road rash" injuries (just like me, when I used to jog). We used to use alcohol as well as hydrogen peroxide and the Neosporin, but after realizing it was just drying out the skin--and after rashes from the Neosporin--I now just use soap and water and Aquaphor--I don't know why, but I prefer it a bit to Vaseline. A large tub lasts a long time, longer than those little tubes of ointment. 😉
When my oldest was recovering from his surgeries with a large open wound (healing from secondary intention) we had a crash course in wound healing. Definitely keep it moist. If the dressing does dry out and stick to the wound, we would moisten the dressing before trying to remove it. DS felt the saline they recommended was irritating to his skin--he said it stung--so we actually boiled water and dissolved in it some xylitol, which is antibacterial, and has shown to help in collagen formation. We used that, with gauze, to cover the wound. When he went for follow up appointments at the wound clinic, the surgeon overseeing his case was consistently surprised at how well the wound was healing! He said, "Whatever you are doing, keep doing it."
Some of my kids object to sticky bandages on (ahem) hairy leg or arm areas. In that case, I tell them to use some gauze with Aquaphor on the wound and use an Ace bandage to wrap around the limb to keep it in place. Less anxiety about "ripping off" the bandage.
Oh that's a good solution for hairy legs!
I end up giving my poor male patients a semi-wax job sometimes when I'm pulling off various sticky things. I do my best to loosen the adhesive with alcohol wipes but some hair loss is inevitable.
@Kristen, The wound care nurses gave us some wipes that had adhesive remover in it--very helpful when we were loosening DS's dressings on his wound, to avoid breakdown of the surrounding skin. Maybe ask the wound care nurses if you can have some of those. They're not alcohol, I don't think.
I should clarify, I'm only using alcohol wipes to loosen adhesive when it's not on open skin; I'm talking removing tegaderm over an IV or removing EKG leads.
Otherwise it would sound like I'm contradicting myself!
@Karen A., My oldest kiddo hates pulling off bandaids. We use "vet wrap"/self adhesive bandages to do the same thing, which is handy because it can even do small areas like fingers or toes. I should get some ace bandages to use on bigger areas since they're reusable.
@Donna, That is a good idea! We also use gauze and 3M Medipore tape, which is gentler on the skin than a traditional bandaid. One roll lasts us quite some time.
@Kristen, my docs now all use a cotton ball and a strip of nubbly bandage-like stuff strapped around the whole arm, rather than a bandaid. Seems like overkill to me but I've never minded the one-agonizing-rip method of removing bandaids. (The alternative is sometimes known as a-series-of-excruciating-jerks.)
@WilliamB, I suspect they are seeing more people who, like myself, get skin irritation from traditional band-aids. Even if it's removed gently my skin is red for quite some time afterwards, and itchy.
Wow, this was very helpful. Thank you!
One more random question! I had a Judy Blume book as a kid where the main character gets a bad jellyfish sting and has to lie in a bath of baking soda. Is that still recommended? I got a small jellyfish sting in summer but it was pretty mild, so I just waited it out!
Apparently vinegar is the recommendation! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/09/vinegar-best-antidote-jellyfish-stings-urine-lemon-juice-make-worse-study
And urine is not. Ha.
@Kristen, I love that Friends episode! I texted my sister a gif from that scene when I got my sting lol!
@Sophie in Denmark, Love that Friends episode
@ErikaJS, 'If I had to, I'd pee on any one of you!' Although Joey wouldn't have to, it seems! 😉
@Sophie in Denmark, ‘That’s right! I stepped up.' Although, yes, he’d just need to go get the vinegar ha.
@Kristen, fresh urine is sterile so if you need to irrigate a wound in emergency situations...
@ErikaJS, Then he wouldn't feel bad about how he 'got the stage fright'!
@Kristen, My father, reared on a farm in Lithuania in about the 1930s, swore by urine as a great treatment for burns and cuts. Every time he used something like vaseline for a cut on one of us, he would talk the entire time about how he should just use "a little pee" instead of wasting money on commercial products. I think my grandmother forbid him to use one of his home remedies on us. Decades later, when the use of male (not female) urine for composting and fertilizing became popular in some circles, including some of the British historical garden sites, my father felt completely vindicated about the magical properties of urine.
@Kristen, Is this why Jill 'mended' Jack's head with 'vinegar and brown and paper' in the nursery rhyme?
This is interesting timing because I’ve just recently started using Vaseline on my dry hand cuts/cracks, rather than Neosporin. I hadn’t thought of using it for regular cuts. The biggest benefit I had with the Neosporin was that it delivered a larger amount of product to a smaller point, making it easier to keep the band-aid on.
Any tips for keeping a band-aid on fingers after using Vaseline? Are the NexCare “band-aids” also better in this situation?
On a related to the topic … How do people prevent and treat cracking dry hands? I use O’Keeffe’s hand cream, but it’s not enough. My fingers still develop new cracks everyday. I’ve started using Vaseline in addition to the hand cream, but then everything except the bandages will stick to my hands!
So, the vaseline should only go over the open surface, where the little white pad of the bandage sits, not where the adhesive goes. And you don't need a lot; just enough to thinly cover it. That should help to keep it from seeping out to the adhesive part of the bandage. Maybe try a not-sharp toothpick to dab it on?
I wonder if Vaseline has a squeeze-type container.
And yes, every type of Nexcare bandaid has worked better for me than the Band-Aid brand of bandages!
@JenRR, the product that finally worked for us to treat and especially prevent dry hand/finger skin is a natural hard bar lotion - just has 3 ingredients: shea butter, coconut oil, and beeswax. Takes a minute to warm it up enough to rub it in, but then the beeswax really protects and makes it last. (If you can't find it locally, the brand I use is MadeOn hard lotion - pricey but a little goes a long way.)
@JenRR, In the winter my hands get dry, raw, cracked, and itchy! I got some cheap cotton gloves, (you could use an old pair of socks), and a tub of Aquaphor ointment. I put on a moderate coat and then the gloves before bed. During the day I use much less as I won't be wearing gloves and it seems to help.
Cerave makes a really good ointment as well. It seems to sink in better and calms the itchies for me, but it is a bit pricey.
Also, Aquaphor makes a balm in stick form which is easier to carry and use. The main ingredient is petrolatum which is Vaseline.
https://www.aquaphorus.com/products/aquaphor-repairing-ointment/aquaphor-healing-balm-stick-065oz
The key with all these products is consistent use.
@JenRR, use can use medical tape over a bandaid. I do that when on fresh kitchen cuts because they're always at a non-bandaid-friendly angle and bleed a lot. The tape keeps the bandaid on and applies pressure.
Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
My Dad never believed in bandages. He always said it needed air to heal. Explaining to him what you just explained was brushed off. I’m just the daughter so I had no credibility with him.
I agree about Nexcare bandages. Best on the market. I learned of them from a hair stylist.
Well, at least you know how to take care of your own cuts and scrapes!
Me personally, I will trust what the wound care experts say and do. 😉 Sometimes I have had patient family members come in and argue with what the wound care team is doing for their family member's wound, and while I know these wound care team nurses aren't infallible, they DO spend every hour of every work shift caring for wounds, and I think we should give their opinions some weight.
@Kristen, It drives me crazy when laypeople act like they know more than doctors and nurses! As if they've studied medicine!
I am particularly surprised when people question a whole team of wound care nurses; like, seriously? You have a whole group of people who dedicate their lives to taking care of wounds, and you're just going to naysay their suggestions off the bat? It feels audacious to me.
Again, I know medical professionals are not infallible, but they do know things, and when an entire team of specialists all say the same thing, that should carry some weight.
@Kristen, Exactly! Of course there has been progression in medicine and advice changes occasionally throughout the years, but I would defer to any medical professional with current advice. It reminds me a little of a scene from a TV show where a character has to go into surgery, and then her family are crowding around with their phones spouting statistics at the doctor, and he says wearily 'can you put the phones away? I miss the days when the doctor was the source of information' (or words to that effect). It's not a bad thing that we can research things independently, but it IS bad when we assume we somehow know as much as doctors or nurses!
When my husband and I first started dating, he had a wound that I put Vaseline on. When his mother saw it, she commented that it was no wonder the wound looked bad because it had Vaseline on it. I was so confused because that was the way my grandmother always did things. Kind of feeling validated this morning about my decision of 40+ years ago to cover his wound. 😉
I appreciate these tips! I definitely believe in cleaning with alcohol and letting the wound dry. I think my 3rd grade teacher told me that's important and I've stuck to it for the last 30 years faithfully.
I did wonder about the vaseline ... I try really hard to avoid petroleum-based products and tend to prefer herbal medicine. I make beeswax + infused oil salves containing skin-supporting herbs like calendula, plantain, yarrow, and so on.
Do you think a salve like that would perform the same function of creating a moisture barrier without the need for mass-produced petroleum-based products like vaseline? If so, I would encourage everyone to support their local economies and find someone making small-batch herbal salves to buy! I think herbal medicine is woefully underrated and a wonderful, and extremely, unbelievably frugal way to care for our bodies.
I should clarify from my first paragraph. I *used to* believe in using alcohol and letting the wound dry until I learned from your post today!
I don't know for sure, but I would imagine that a non-irritating ointment that forms an occlusive barrier would work as well as Vaseline. For instance, I'd hazard a guess that this would work well: https://tdnaturals.com/healthy-jelly/
@Gretchen, You could use manuka honey rather than vaseline. Honey is humectant, meaning it draws moisture from the air and pulls it towards the skin. I have used manuka honey on many a wound with excellent results, even deep abrasions. Very deep wounds, I would not use it, but scrapes and regular cuts, yes.
For very severe bleeding an ER might be best. But a med center/urgent care is less expensive. And many things can be taken care of in the primary care doctor's office. For me that is zero copay vs $50 for urgent care and $110 for ER. Also unless it is severe bleeding waiting a bit won't hurt. If you happen to have a nurse neighbor/friend a professional opinion on what to do might save you money and hassle. I had a nurse kit at the ready as neighbors called on me frequently. Rarely were stitches needed but rather good wound care as Kristen outlined so well.
Agreed on the urgent care; I generally will choose to go there vs. the ER unless it's after hours!
So stinkin’good and needed
After several basal cell skin cancer removals, I can attest that my dermatologists want me to only use Vasoline on my wounds and I am to only leave the bandage on for 24 hours, without getting it wet, then replace it as needed and I can shower after the 24 hours. I always replace it with a good adhesive bandage, with vasoline protecting the wound area. These are generally small wounds, of course.
I grew up with iodine and mercurochrome (!) then it was switched to hydrogen peroxide, and everyone seemed fascinated with the peroxide's foaming. Then it was antibiotic ointment - does anyone remember the commercial of the moms on the playground who kept tubes of Neosporine in their purses for their kids' boo-boos? - but I had veered off that path into no-antibiotics by that point. I felt like we had too much antibiotics in almost everything.
I now use non-antibiotic wound wash and vasoline or All Good's Goop, which has always done absolute wonders on minor burns as well. I've never had anything take out the pain of a burn and heal it as fast as Goop and I keep a jar handy.
Also, this is not something everyone has on hand or wants to use, but a clump of rinsed yarrow leaves held against a wound with a clean compress will help stop bleeding faster. This is not for serious bleeds, obviously, but it came in handy when my husband used to bleed so easily with very minor scrapes.
Excellent summation! However, if you use oxygen via nasal cannula or mask, please be cautious with Vaseline. It's a fire risk cause it's petroleum based. For my hospice peeps, I hand out a product called mouth moisturizer- it's got coconut oil in it.
Is this true no matter where it is on the body? I knew not to use it to protect upper lip/nose skin while using a nasal cannula, but it had not occurred to me that using it on, say, a toe would be a problem.
thanks so much for this. very helpful as always. when is the car hunt starting? car rental companies sell used cars. am so looking forward to fg's take on car shopping.
my 14 yr old will be buying a used car the minute he has his license. i think i am more excited than he is. sorry to be off topic.
When growing up my father used methiolate on everything - burned like crazy and took your mind off any other pain. Personally I do not like bandaids, will use if there is a cut that pulls apart but otherwise just no.
I love using Vaseline petroleum jelly in the winter as a way to stave off eczema. If you warm a blob of it by rubbing it quickly between your palms, it will spread easily as a sort of lotion. It almost single-handedly saves me each winter.
@Gina from The Cannary Family, Also good for keeping nasal passages moist and staving off winter nosebleeds.
Thank you! This was very interesting, and I appreciate you sharing your expertise.
Can Vaseline go bad or get bacteria in it? Our tub is literally decades old.
My Mom recommended red wash cloths for small children, so they couldn't see the blood when a small cut was washed off.
@Heidi Louise, I'm curious about this question too! Our Vaseline is also old, and despite instructions to wash hands before dipping a finger in, it doesn't always happen (& let's just say I have seen double-dipping happening in our house...)
Thank you for sharing your wisdom! I love learning from those in the trenches. My mom is a retired nurse and was always an advocate of 'listen to the latest, but also trust that your body can heal most things if we stay out of the way'. She was the 'yes to current vax, but chicken soup, lots of water, rest for cold/flu' type mom. I am same. I'm 54y, I got chicken pox from my bestie (at time, 'get it, you're d0ne, n0 big deal' eye roll lol). My kids got the vax! Husband and I got the shingles vax. Know better, do better. And chicken soup and rest for the rest.
Hi Kristen! I am a retired newspaper medical writer and applaud your link to gold standard resources to back your suggestions. Any medical writing for consumers should pass the most rigid quality standards as (despite a disclaimer) readers often will not consult their physician.
Many times, our medical team would even field calls from readers asking for advice and also for suggestions on which hospital to go to.?
Great info 🙂
Have you seen this on your rotation? I can say with experience that it's pretty remarkable. Obviously, it's not for someone to put on at home, but I thought I'd see if you'd seen it yet or not on your shifts 🙂 https://www.sylke.com/pages/about?srsltid=AfmBOoqldtu-5l5OCNAkZxUa3jdgT0oeYCaIHL7VAasJShKgpl0Y2NSD
I have had many years of wounds that went right to infection. Many courses of steroids to get over these. So my Dr wants me to use a homemade wound wash of 50/50 water and hydrogen peroxide for any cut or scrap. He told me to never use pure peroxide because it basically kills too much of the good stuff too.
This is just meant as FYI. I completely agree with this post, but also know sometimes doctors give us directions based on our needs.
Thanks so much for the information in this article. It was very helpful and very informative.
Personally I am on blood thinners and did have a bad habit of pulling scabs (between bleeding profusely and wounds getting infected, I've pretty much stopped with the latter). I do make sure to cover wounds on my lower extremities as I have poor circulation in my feet and lower legs (plus I work in a very dirty environment).
Thank you! I'm just about out of bandaids, so I am ordering the Nexcare! I do have trouble finding bandaids that stick!
After my most recent trip to Urgent Care (thankfully open at 7 a.m.), my doctor used steri strips (which I did not know about) on my hand instead of stitches. I actually did everything you suggest without knowing that was what I was supposed to do. The cut was so disgusting looking I kept it covered for close to 8 weeks; used vaseline to keep things from sticking to the bandages; only changed the bandages every 5 or 6 days. And then I used a lotion product called Scar-rid and have hardly any visible scarring. But it took a good 8-10 weeks, from early October to mid-December. No tendon or ligament damage, thank goodness, but some slight nerve damage. Live and learn!
@JDinNM, The biggest problem was that it was my right (dominant) hand and keeping it dry while trying to shower and was dishes was the real challenge.
I always love your medical advice because it comes from getting good information and from a good heart.
Having gotten older and experienced a variety of wounds in life and still crazy enough to own cats, I continuously get scratches that need to be taken care of. And, I'm also on a blood thinners so, there are times that those scratches actually lead me to the walk in clinic. Sometimes their claws just catch me at the right angle and my skin peels back like a grape. But, in all my years, I've never had a nurse or a doctor tell me to just cover and vaseline, I think that some of the best medical advice I have ever gotten for small wounds. And, it was free.
Thank you for sharing this advice and caring about your followers enough to do so.
Blessings to you and your family.
I'm surprised you didn't mention aloe vera -- the plant, if at all possible. Break off a piece, open it so the gel oozes out, then put it right on the wound after you've cleaned it. Repeat with a fresh piece of plant after the gel starts drying up. Do this until the wound is actively healing.
I have had excellent results with not only cuts, but burns I got from pulling a jar of honey from the microwave. (It broke, and the contents spilled all over my hand.) It kept the pain down -- and no scars!
My husband has a love affair with Bag Balm and pretty much uses that for every wound or scratch. When he travels he always packs a small pouch with Bag Balm, a small can of WD40, and a small roll of duct tape. (And he has used the duct tape on himself when he needed a bandage, and bag balm on a car part!)
I'm especially glad to see the Vaseline recommendation. I had a benign skin growth removed a few years ago, and I applied Bacitracin per the surgeon during healing. That's how I found out the hard way that I was allergic to Bacitracin, although I have no other known allergies, and apparently a lot of people are allergic to it. I didn't think it would ever stop itching! In fact, it was named "allergen of the year" in 2003 by the American Contact Dermatitis Association, so I don't even understand why it is so widely used. * Then I recalled how horribly itchy I was after getting a tattoo many years ago, and I suspect that was another Bacitracin episode, with the 20/20 clarity of hindsight.
*Source: https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/bacitracin-and-boo-boos-becoming-a-no-no
My husband often has cancerous spots removed from his head and face and this is exactly what they tell him to do: wash, apply Vaseline, apply bandage.
For my recent laparoscopic surgery they glued shut the small incisions. One was not completely closed and it still has a scab nearly a month later. I may pick it off and apply Vaseline and bandage so it finally heals as the others have done.
@Linda Sand, I’m having laproscopic surgery next month. I wonder if I’ll get the same instructions? (Note to self: remember to pack vaseline.)
@WilliamB, They won't let you treat your own wounds while in the hospital so you won't need the Vaseline until you get home. If you have stitches, they likely will be covered so not accessible. If they glue your incisions closed, you won't have access to them then, either. Only after the stitches come out will you, possibly, have need of Vaseline. When I had laparoscopy with stitches a few years ago my incisions were healed enough by the time the stitches came out I didn't need to treat those. What other healing you might need to do will depend on what they are doing once they get in there. For one, I only had restrictions to how much I could lift. For the other, I was sent to a care center for help until my abdominal muscles recovered. I hope your surgery goes well and your recovery is easy.
I've recently discovered the hydrocolloid bandages (various brands). Managed to cut the side of the tip of a finger off on Dec 4, and have put a few of those on it (nothing stays permanently on a finger tip!). At this point (eleven days later), the bottom-most layer has a nice shiny layer of new growth over it, which is way faster than I'm used to from more traditional care for a wound of this degree; admittedly, my background for `traditional' is along the lines of `throw a BandAid at it and hope for the best'.
At a fundamental level, I believe they have a similar behaviour to the more water-pulling methods already mentioned, plus the occlusive aspects of Vaseline. Admittedly, they don't quite fall into the `frugal' category; the Albertsons store brand is $4 for 10, as opposed to about $5 for 30 traditional BandAids. I did try one of the latter brand's version of hydrocolloid, and it was...not entirely successful. The best summary for BandAid (any of their offerings) seems to be `pay more for lower quality'.
Someone commented about difficulty keeping hand wounds dry in the shower or when washing dishes. My solution is to put on a nitrile exam glove. Not good for extended periods, as it'll cause sweat to accumulate (don't bother when taking a bath!), but great for a few minutes. Those gloves are also great for when cleaning cat boxes, to reduce potential exposure to things like toxoplasmosis.
Forgot to mention: given the degree of healing, I switched to a normal BandAid today, just to provide a bit of cushioning while it finishes healing. It doesn't qualify as an open wound at this point.
Good tips! I've never thought to use petroleum jelly.
Years ago I got a nasty cut on my face and refused stitches, so they glued it. The doctor suggested I use Bacitracen, saying it was better at minimizing scaring compared to Neosporin. But a quick internet search tells me that petroleum jelly would work, too! The more you know 🙂
Oh this is so helpful and timely for me! I work at a food bank and we frequently have our homeless clients come in with injuries. I routinely give out band-aids, peroxide and antibiotic ointment. Now I will see if we can get some Vaseline instead. We also have a big stash of saline cleansing solution that I didn't know what to do with. Now I do! Thanks, Kristen. 🙂
thanks very doubtful that i will be able to take the peroxide from my husband, Also, is there anything non=petroleum to replace Vaseline ?
thanks again
I have a collagen disorder and very fragile skin. The slightest bump can cause a wound that bleeds. I really like Tegaderm, but it's very expensive. Several years ago I bought a roll of "Opsite Flexifix" which is a 2" X 11 yards roll of stuff similar to Tegaderm. I still have at least 1/2 of the roll to go. When I have an ugly, bloody wound I put a little bit of Vaseline on a square of sterile dressing and fix it into place with the Flexifix. As it heals and isn't so ugly I skip the dressing part. It breathes, and it's waterproof and it moves with you.
I had a teeny, tiny splinter. I thought I'd gotten it out, but the wound continued to hurt a lot and eventually became infected. I could feel something in there, but I thought it was just a bit of hardened skin or scab. My physician daughter told me to put Vaseline on it and cover it. The very next day, the splinter came out! Who knew plain old Vaseline was so good? My daughter said that is her go to suggestion when someone has a splinter she can't quite get to. It is good stuff.
Good to know about the Vaseline! I'll start using it from now on, instead of Polysporin
We're big fans if the welly bandages. Mom has precancerous/ skin cancer spots removed about once a year and finds other bandaids irritate her skin if she wears them for so many days in a row.