wound care ointment

Wound care ointment is not a universal healing tool. It only has a clear auxiliary effect on moderate and non-infected superficial abrasions, first- and second-degree burns, and wounds in the healing period after suture removal after surgery. If you choose the right category and use it at the right time, it can shorten the healing time by 20% to 30% and reduce the probability of hypertrophic scarring. However, indiscriminate use of infected wounds and deep wounds will aggravate the injury and even induce ulcers.

To be honest, my best friend was cooking spicy chicken at home last week, and her arms were burnt three times red by the oil spilled. At that time, two small blisters the size of needle tips appeared. Without thinking, she applied a thick layer of the imported care cream from the internet celebrity that she had been hoarding for more than half a year. As a result, the areas where the blisters burst swelled into red pustules the next day, which made her drop dead in pain. She went to the emergency room with tears in her eyes, and the doctor scolded her for being confused: The nursing ointment was a pure lanolin sealing type, and it was originally used to lock in water for wounds that were scabbed and not leaking. When she applied it, the blisters had already burst and tissue fluid was leaking out. The thick ointment directly stuffed the exudate into the wound, so it would be strange if there was no infection.

Don't think this is a small-probability event. During the two months when I was rotating in the emergency surgery department, there were at least a dozen patients who came for follow-up visits just because they applied nursing cream indiscriminately. An old man scraped his knee against a curb. He thought the ointment prescribed by the hospital was expensive, so he went to a health center and bought a nursing ointment known as "pure herbal ancestral formula". After applying it for three days, a dense red rash appeared around the wound, which was so rotten. ； There was also a little girl who squeezed a pimple on her face and applied the scar-removing care cream directly on it. It was just a small pimple at first, but eventually it became a cystic pimple, leaving a mark for a long time.

Nowadays, the wet-dry school has been arguing about wound care for many years. Many people must have heard the older generation say, "Wounds should be left to dry, and scabs will heal quickly." This is a typical dry-school view, and it is not completely unreasonable: If it is just a minor injury caused by rubbing on the corner of the table, only the epidermis is red but not broken, the body's own healing ability is sufficient, and it can be cured by leaving it to dry for two or three days without applying anything. However, if you apply nursing cream, it may be rubbed everywhere. However, the wet healing school that has been popular in recent years also has clinical basis for saying that "a moist environment will not scab, and the skin that grows will be smoother and will not leave scars." The core is to match the wound status: for example, abrasions on the face, lacerations on joints, it is easy to pull scabs due to excessive activity, or you have a scarring constitution. After disinfection, apply a thin layer of suitable nursing cream to keep the wound moist and not scab, which can indeed reduce the probability of scarring.

In fact, the two sides have been arguing for so many years, but the core is still not clear about the adaptation scenarios of different care creams. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. When you go to a drugstore, you can see all kinds of care creams. Don’t listen to the shopping guide’s boasts about patented black technology. Turn to the ingredient list and look at the first three, and you can basically judge what it is for: petroleum jelly and lanolin, which account for the highest proportion, are simply closed and water-locking. They are suitable for wounds in the recovery period that have grown fresh granulations and have not leaked out. It is the same as applying hand cream in winter to prevent cracks. ； The ingredients contain silver ions and povidone-iodine, which are antibacterial. They are suitable for wounds stained with sand and there is a slight risk of infection. For example, if you fall while riding a bicycle and rub on the asphalt road, applying it after disinfection can reduce the probability of infection. ； There are also those added with recombinant human epidermal growth factor, which are healing-promoting types and are suitable for surgical wounds that have just had their sutures removed, and can speed up epidermal repair. Oh, by the way, there is also the scar-removal care cream that is so popular on the Internet. You have to check whether it contains silicone ingredients, and it can only be used after the wound has completely healed and the scab has fallen off. Applying it just after it has broken is a waste of money and chaos.

I have two at home right now, one of ordinary white Vaseline. I usually use it when I get little red dots from oil splashes when cooking, or when my hands are cracked in the winter. It’s cheap and easy to use.； A silicone-based scar removal cream. My cat scratched my arm last time. After the scab fell off, I kept applying it for two months. Now I can barely see the mark. Usually when I meet relatives and friends who ask me how to choose, I always first ask what the wound is like, whether it is broken, whether there is pus, and where it is located. I never dare to casually say which one is best.

I really want to remind you, don’t deify this thing. If the wound is so deep that you can see the subcutaneous fat, or it is pricked by a rusty iron tool, or bitten by a cat or dog, don't think about applying some nursing cream and it will be done. Go to the hospital for debridement, stitches, and corresponding vaccines. It is better than anything else.