Skin Abrasions

Abrasions are minor injuries to the surface of the skin. They can result from a scrape against a wall or concrete, or from falling on a hard surface while playing a sport. These are otherwise known as "road rash". Other types of abrasions include friction burns such as rug or carpet burn or rope burn. Because abrasions are superficial, bleeding is usually minimal.

How to treat skin abrasions when they occur

To treat a mild abrasion, you would clean the area around the wound first. Make sure that there is no dirt inside the area that's been injured. Hydrogen Peroxide or a mild antiseptic may be used to gently cleanse the injury. Over-the-counter topical antibiotics can be applied to prevent infection. Depending on location, a topical dressing may be placed over the injury for protection.

Severe abrasions, or avulsions, require immediate medical help. In addition to thoroughly cleaning the wound area, most doctors will use a type of dressing that acts like a second skin to keep the wound covered and free of bacteria and dirt.

The time it takes an abrasion to heal depends upon how deep the gash was to your skin, as well as location and size. Before your wound area can heal, all the layers of the affected skin need to heal first. Then the top layer of skin can be healed too. Scaring can occur if the wound is deep and not treated properly.

Read testimonials about using Wounded Warrior on skin abrasions.