How does neosporin prevent scarring

Ask your doctor if you should use a stronger cleaning solution, such as hydrogen peroxide or an antiseptic. These things may irritate some wounds.

Bleeding helps clean out wounds. Most small cuts or scrapes will stop bleeding in a few minutes. Wounds on the face, head, or mouth sometimes bleed a lot because these areas have a lot of small blood vessels.

To stop the bleeding, press firmly but gently on the cut with a clean cloth, tissue, or piece of gauze. If the blood soaks through the gauze or cloth, do not take it off.

Just put more gauze or another cloth on top of what you are already using, and keep pressing. If the wound is on an arm or leg, raising the arm or leg above the level of your heart will help slow the bleeding. Leaving a wound uncovered helps it stay dry and heal. If the wound is in a place that will not get dirty or be rubbed by clothing, you do not have to put a bandage on it. If the wound is in a place that will get dirty or be rubbed by clothing, cover it with a bandage or with sterile gauze and adhesive tape.

Change the bandage each day to keep the wound clean and dry. Some wounds, such as scrapes that cover a large part of the body, should be kept moist and clean.

This will help reduce scarring and make healing go faster. Bandages for large wounds are called occlusive say: oh-clue-sive or semiocclusive bandages. You can buy them in drug stores. Your doctor will tell you if this kind of bandage is best. Antibiotic ointments such as Neosporin help wounds heal by keeping out infection and by keeping the wound clean and moist.

If your child has stitches, your doctor will tell you whether you should use an antibiotic ointment. Most cuts and scrapes heal without antibiotic ointment. But it can make healing go faster and help reduce scarring. Scabs are like bandages made by the body. They protect wounds from dirt. It is best to leave them alone and not pick at them.

They will fall off when the time is right. Call your child's doctor if the wound is deep, if you can't get the edges to stay together with a bandage, or if the edges are ragged. The first thing to know is that scar formation is a totally normal part of the healing process.

The appearance of any given scar depends on a number of factors. The shape, size, and depth of the wound contribute to the way a scar looks, as do the amount of blood that can get to the area, your skin color, and your skin thickness.

There are three main types of scars. Normal scars are relatively thin, small, and flat. Hypertrophic scars are red, thick, and raised. Keloid scars are also raised, often dark or red, and, unlike hypertrophic scars, expand beyond the contours of the actual wound. Keloid scars tend to be genetic and can be hard to control or predict, says Dr. They come from an overproduction of collagen and can be treated by injecting steroid medication into the affected area.

General ways to prevent the appearance of scarring include avoiding direct sun exposure, keeping the scar moist, and covering it with silicone sheets or gel. Sometimes the development of a scar is unavoidable and may require treatment by a dermatologist. Dermabrasion is an exfoliating method that helps reduce the appearance of scars. A dermatologist will use a wire brush or diamond wheel to remove the top layer of skin over your scar.

People generally see a 50 percent improvement in their scar after dermabrasion. However, it may not be a good choice for people with sensitive skin or autoimmune disorders. Cryotherapy may be a treatment option for hypertrophic and keloid scars. During cryotherapy , a doctor will use a needle to freeze your scar with nitrogen vapor.

A chemical peel may be an option for acne scars. The treatment involves removing the outer layer of your scar. The skin that replaces it is usually smoother and appears more natural. It can take up to 14 days to heal from a chemical peel. Laser treatment uses concentrated beams of light to remove your outer layer of skin. It generally takes about 3 to 10 days to heal from laser therapy.

An intralesional steroid injection involves injecting a corticosteroid into your scar to improve its appearance. Clinicians can advise patients to apply petroleum jelly or antibiotic cream to the wounded area and cover it with a non-stick bandage. This may also hasten the healing process. Contrary to what many patients believe, using hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound too often could cause continual irritation and slow the healing process, which will increase scarring.

Patients have several OTC options to try and minimize the appearance of a scar.