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You nick yourself while cutting an onion, drawing blood. Or maybe you bump into your coffee table, scraping your shin. There are endless ways to break the skin. And as we age, our bodies become less efficient at healing, which increases the likelihood that wounds will linger.
Why healing slows with age
Skin becomes thinner, less elastic and more easily breakable over time, says Peter Abadir, an associate professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore. Sun damage exacerbates the problem, which is why skin on the arms, shins, backs of the hands and other areas routinely exposed to sunlight is particularly delicate.
The skin cells that produce keratin also lose their ability to divide over time, says Elof Eriksson, professor emeritus at Harvard Medical School in Boston. And deficiencies in vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc also can slow down healing, experts say.
Medicines may play a role
Anti-inflammatory drugs, including steroids and pain relievers such as ibuprofen, can reduce the speed of recovery because “the first stage of wound healing is inflammation,” Abadir says. “If you block inflammation, you delay wound healing.”
Blood thinners may also slow down recovery, says Caroline Fife, medical director of St. Luke’s Wound Clinic in Woodlands, Tex.
Never stop taking any drug, however, without first consulting your doctor.
The right treatment
For a dirty cut or scrape, start by gently cleaning it with liquid soap and tap water. Then pat it dry and apply a dressing that “creates a moist healing environment,” Eriksson says. It’s important to retain some moisture because this allows skin cells on the top and border of the wound to stay alive and help heal the area.
If a wound is oozing, wrap it in something absorbent, such as a foam dressing, Eriksson says. For mostly dry wounds, breathable dressings such as Tegaderm work well, he adds, while gauze may dry out the area.
Dry bandages such as gauze also may end up damaging the surrounding skin when you remove them. So if you do use one, use petroleum jelly or a wound gel to keep the bandage from sticking, Fife says.
Topical antibiotics aren’t always useful, and “lots of people are allergic to them,” Fife says. “If a wound looks like it’s infected, you’re better off going to your doctor.”
When wounds won’t go away
A wound is generally considered chronic if it fails to heal within 30 days, or “whenever it doesn’t heal in the [time frame] it’s believed that it should heal,” Margolis says.
If you have a chronic condition associated with skin ulcers, such as diabetes or vascular disease, have a “conversation with your health-care provider to both help you understand what’s going on and help minimize or prevent” them, Margolis says. Sometimes, those ulcers can be prevented before they occur.
When to see your doctor
If your wound is large, generally more than 2-by-2 inches, or deep enough that it extends beyond the skin, you should see a doctor, Eriksson says. Smaller, less complicated wounds should clear up within two weeks. But if a minor cut or scrape isn’t improving in the way or time frame you’d expect, “then you should seek medical attention,” says David Margolis, director of the cutaneous ulcer program at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.
If you’re unsure, or if your wound is swollen, red or painful, consider at least sending your doctor a photo, Abadir says.
Copyright 2023, Consumer Reports Inc.
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