this post was submitted on 14 Oct 2023
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& https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3842869/

I feel like it should be common knowledge to help people not only recover faster, but also to have less complications and less scarring.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I totally thought they opposite

[–] [email protected] 26 points 11 months ago

That's why I share. :)

FYI, surgeons also tell me not to use soap when cleaning wounds, because it further dries the area out. I'm always told to simply use clean water.

I'm currently using some antiseptic gel as the wound isn't fully closed. When the wound closes (so skin irritation without entrance under it), you can use silicone-based things or petroleum (e.g. vaseline). They may be applicable even earlier on, but surgeons told me not to use them until the wound itself is closed, and I cannot find information quicker, as all results mention scar treatment (silicone sheets can be used long-term on a freshly healed scar to help it heal better afaik - gels are said to evaporate too quickly to help). They help healing when there's no more risk of wound opening and prevent worse scarring, plus definitely reduce pain if it's caused by dried out wound.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 11 months ago

From experience I can also say, if you feel pain from the wound, it's likely due to it being too dry.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I used hydrocolloidal bandages for the first time when I had several deep cuts on my hands from a bicycle accident recently. I was absolutely amazed by how painless it was compared to regular bandages. I didn't realize it then but looking back I definitely healed quicker than using plain old bandages too.

If I get injured again I'm definitely using hydrocolloidal bandages.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Last concert I went I got huge blisters on my heel and used hydrocolloidal bandages for the first time. It was really amazing how painless and quick the recovery was and I only had to change the bandages once, even after showering.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Huh, interesting but I feel I need to relay that this moisture isn't walking around with an open wound in the rainforest. It's various types of specialized concoctions to prevent bacterial growth and provide the building blocks needed for tissue regrowth.

I've actually seen the products before, like big bandaids with a gel-like substance instead of the normal cotton pad. Interesting to see that they apparently not only help with less itching but also leads to less scaring and faster healing.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Guess that’s part of the reason neosporin works well.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago

Yeah I was going to say, antiseptic gel under a regular bandage is basically the best case scenario for general healing

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I thought this was widely known.

It's been depicted in movies like Starship Troopers https://duckduckgo.com/?q=starship+troopers+healing+tank

[–] [email protected] 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This is huge news to me. I was always taught to remove bandages asap to let wounds "air out".

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago

It depends on the wound. If the skin needs to move, letting it dry hard and crack and bleed is not good. In those cases: covered by day, ointment only by night.

If the wound just happened, yea keep it covered.

If you are a burn victim, then yes, spring for the healing tank... if you can afford it.