If you have ever gotten a knee or an elbow scrape and believed leaving it unattended will help it heal faster, you are probably wrong. Dr. Samantha Ellis, a popular dermatologist shared a reel on Instagram which went viral, wherein she talks about the proper at-home treatment for a scrape or wound.

A step-by-step guide

In the video, the doctor suggests that the best way to heal an open wound is to wash it out with soap and water, pat it dry and apply a thin layer of unmedicated ointment easily available at home like Vaseline, and then cover it up with a band-aid. She suggests that this process must be repeated every 24 hours for as many days till a thin layer of pink skin appears on the affected area. The dermatologist claims that a medicated ointments are not necessary, and instead an unmedicated ointment will do the same job. 

Airing our vs proper care

“Airing out” a wound can make it much worse since it involves the risk of re-scraping the scab or other foreign pathogens entering through the opening, delaying the healing process. Although this process may feel “annoying” and slow since a thick brown scab will not develop over your wound, it is overall better for your skin in the long run. The dermatologist claims this after-care process will make the scar left behind after the healing process almost invisible and unnoticeable, since a new layer of skin develops over the affected area.  

As this reel went viral on Instagram, multiple users expressed their lack of knowledge of the correct way to heal a wound in the comments. “Not me being 45 years old and just learned how to take care of cuts. Thank you Dr, ” said a user. “So refreshing you weren’t shilling a “wound healing” spray or some ridiculous product. Just good advice,” said another Instagram user, expressing her gratitude. 

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