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Skin Health and Wound Care

wound care

Whatever our age, we all want to have the healthiest skin that we can achieve.

Following these general tips should help you enjoy a smoother skin and may help to make your scars less noticeable:

  • Stay hydrated. Drinking water improves your skin’s elasticity while reducing the signs of dryness and roughness.
  • Eat foods high in antioxidants. Foods like leafy greens, oily fish and yellow/orange fruits or vegetables have a protective effect on your skin.
  • Exercise. Regular aerobic exercise improves the composition of the skin, making the outer layers thinner and the inner layers thicker. This results in smoother, younger-looking skin.
  • Get enough sleep. The more sleep you get, the more chance your body has to repair itself. It does this by increasing blood flow and collagen production, repairing UV damage, and reducing wrinkles and sun spots. 
  • Protect yourself from the sun. UV rays are very damaging to your skin’s DNA, resulting in dryness, premature aging, and a high risk of skin cancer.
  • Don’t smoke. Exposure to tobacco smoke leads to wrinkles and premature skin ageing, along with a higher risk of skin disorders including psoriasis and acne.
  • Limit alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption has been connected to skin photo-damage, which is damage brought on by sunlight.

Proper wound care can help prevent both scarring and infection.

How you care for a wound immediately after it occurs and over the next few days can make a significant difference in how well it heals.

Immediate attention to a wound is important, as even a minor one can become infected if bacteria are allowed to accumulate. If the accident happens outside of the home, try to deal with it as soon as you can. You should gently rinse the site with warm water to get all the dirt and grit out. If you are unable to wash out all debris, try sterilized tweezers to get the rest. Seek medical attention if you still can’t clear everything out. When it is clean, cover with a sterile bandage or plaster until the scab forms.

Deep wounds and those with jagged edges are more prone to result in scars. Having these wounds stitched may lessen the amount of scarring that occurs.  A visit to A&E or a doctor is advised if the wound is deep or wide.

Change bandages or plasters regularly. Remove them for baths and showers, then re-apply antiseptic ointment and use a fresh covering.

Check the wound when changing dressings. Any redness, inflammation or pus may be signs of infection. Seek medical attention in these cases.

Avoid putting the scab and newly forming repair under too much stretch stress as this may break open the scab and force the healing process to re-start.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a no-obligation chat.