Cuts and grazes
Cut yourself or suffered from a graze? Attend to it properly so that your skin can recover quickly.

ABOUT

Fortunately, the most common everyday injuries are minor wounds that can easily be attended to with a plaster.

Whether you have cut yourself while chopping vegetables, grazed your skin while scratching along a wall or falling on your hands – a plaster will help these injuries heal better.

What kind of wound is it?

Cuts. A cut is an area of severed skin that has been penetrated with a sharp edge, such as a knife, a small tool or the edge of a sheet of paper. The wound will often bleed and have slightly gaping wound edges.

ABRASIONS HURT BECAUSE
OF THE NERVE ENDINGS
UNDER OUR SKIN

Grazes or abrasions: a usually harmless abrasion of the upper skin layers that occurs after falling on knees, hands or elbows, or scratching over a rough surface with some skin coming off subsequently. Abrasions can be painful since the injury often extends to the many fine nerve endings beneath the skin.

A cut with its dehiscent wound edges; © Elastoplast
A graze or abrasion extending to nerve endings; © Elastoplast
Back to top

TREATMENT

How to treat minor wounds like a cut or abrasion

Remember to wash your hands carefully before treating a wound. Any break in the skin can be susceptible to bacteria penetrating.
Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a clean cotton cloth with a mild disinfectant spray or rinse with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing.

Do not remove any embedded objects; leave this to medical staff. We also recommend you disinfect the graze or abrasion.

In all cases, cover the cut or abrasion with a plaster. A plaster will protect the injured area from friction, bacteria and contamination, will absorb wound fluid and create conditions in which the wound can heal undisturbed.

Tip: special Elastoplast plasters such as Fabric Antibacterial already contain antibacterial silver in their wound pads that will reduce the risk of infection.

Some simple steps for treating wounds:

  1. Stay calm and reassure the person, even if there is a lot of bleeding. Decide if the casualty needs medical aid, and seek advice if you are not sure.

  2. When treating children: explain what you are doing, that it might be a little painful but they will soon feel better.

  3. Make sure you wash your hands before applying plasters or dressings, or wear disposable surgical gloves – this will reduce the risk of infection.
  4. A minor wound will soon stop bleeding.
    If it does not, apply a little pressure to the spot with a non-stick pad until it stops.
  5. If the bleeding continues, apply more gauze pads and keep
    pressure on the wound and seek medical advice.
  6. Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a clean cotton cloth sprayed with disinfectant or rinse with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing. Do not remove embedded objects – leave that to medical staff. 
  7. Disinfect, then cover the injured area with an appropriate dressing such as a wound pad, compress or an adhesive bandage.
  8. Keep all cuts clean and change dressing regularly.

Expert tip

"Did you know that you can speed up wound healing? Using a special plaster will create optimal conditions, accelerate healing by up to 50% and reduce the risk of scarring. Try Elastoplast Fast Healing for advanced results.

USING SPECIALISED PLASTERS
SUCH AS FAST HEALING
WILL SPEED UP HEALING
BY UP TO 50%

Its advanced polyurethane plaster technology ensures moist wound healing for optimal wound healing conditions – plus flexible, breathable and waterproof material also ensures excellent skin tolerability.
Clinical studies show that this plaster will give you excellent cosmetic results."

*Wigger-Alberti W. et al. Journal of Wound Care 2009, Mar; 18 (3):123-28, 131

Dr. Rainer Wolber from Research & Development, Beiersdorf AG
Elastoplast Fast Healing will create moist wound healing conditions

WOUND DRESSING KNOW-HOW

  1. ISN'T IT BETTER TO LET SMALL WOUNDS DRY IN THE OPEN AIR RATHER THAN PUTTING ON A PLASTER?

    No. It is a wound care myth that keeping minor cuts and grazes uncovered helps them to heal faster. The opposite is true. Research shows that covered wounds heal more efficiently and with a reduced risk of infection. Elastoplast products provide safe protection until the wound is completely healed. (See also: Moist wound healing and Silver technology.)

  2. WHEN SHOULD I CONSULT A DOCTOR?

    We recommend you contact a medical professional if:

    • The wound is deep and causes major bleeding
    • The wound shows signs of infection such as redness, warmth, pain and swelling
    • There are foreign objects embedded in the wound
    • In the case of an animal or human bite or contact with animal blood
    • The wound is in the area of the face
    • A tetanus vaccination may be needed
    • At any time you have questions or are uncertain

  3. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CHANGE MY PLASTER?

    Wound dressings and plasters should usually be changed each day. If you use an advanced plaster such as Elastoplast Fast Healing, which provides moist wound healing conditions, we recommend you leave it in place for two days or more so as not to interrupt the healing process.

  4. IT LOOKS LIKE MY WOUND HAS BECOME INFECTED – WHAT SHOULD I DO?

    You should contact a medical professional as soon as you recognise signs of infection. Symptoms may include not only pus, but also swelling, redness, heat, pain, itching or burning. In case of infection, the wound will need specialist medical treatment.

PLASTER GUIDE – THE SPECIALISTS

Applying the right plaster can do a lot for your comfort and will also speed up healing. Find out which plaster is right for you.
  1. The waterproof specialists

    Both Elastoplast Aqua Protect Strips and Fast Healing plasters are waterproof, so will not come off while you wash or shower. All Elastoplast Plastic plasters and our Junior Plasters are also water resistant.

  2. The antiseptic specialist

    Looking to protect your wound from dirt as well as infection? Then try a plaster that contains antiseptic ointment or an antiseptic such as silver technology (e.g. Antiseptic Plaster and Antibacterial Sensitive), which are designed to help you avoid infection even more effectively. We recommend extra cleansing before you apply the plaster.

  3. The fabric specialists
    Check out the Elastoplast Fabric products. These plasters are made from a flexible and breathable material, making them especially suitable for joints and moving body parts. They are good too for larger wounds (such as on knees) as they come in various sizes.
  4. The finger specialist
    Elastoplast Fabric Finger Strips – extra long so that they stick perfectly on fingers.
  5. The sensitive specialists

    If you have very sensitive skin, we recommend you use Elastoplast Sensitive products. These plasters are especially developed for sensitive skin, and are very skin friendly and hypoallergenic.

Back to top

SOLUTIONS

Some products that might help

Always cover your wound. Make sure you have different bandages and wound dressings to hand so that you will have the right one for your specific body part and injury. Some suggestions from the Elastoplast range:

Cuts and Grazes Range
Back to top

PREVENTION

Tips

  1. When using sharp tools, be especially careful and if necessary, wear protective gloves.
  2. In the kitchen, chop away from yourself. Remember that sharp knives are actually less dangerous than blunt ones as they will pass through an object more smoothly.
  3. Pass scissors with the sharp ends pointing away from the person you are giving them to.
  4. It's not possible to always avoid cuts and grazes, so make sure you have a well-stocked first aid kit at home.

    Find tips on what it should contain here.

Don't pick at scabs. Right after you get a cut or scrape, your body starts healing the wound. White blood cells attack infection-causing bacteria. Red blood cells, fibrin and platelets create a clot over your wound. And in no time, a scab forms. If you pick off the scab, you may not only reopen the wound and introduce bacteria, you could also cause a larger scar.
Back to top

Always see your doctor if your wound is deep, bleeding or shows signs of infection such as reddening, swelling or warmth. Seek medical help if you are not able to clean the wound properly.

If you have diabetes, proper wound care is of special importance. Always discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor and/or podiatrist, even for the care of minor wounds and skin cracks – especially on your feet.
 
Please note that none of the tips above replace professional medical advice. Consult a health professional if you are uncertain how to treat your wound properly. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

For further information about Elastoplast products, please contact us at consumer.relations.uk@beiersdorf.com 

Please read the instructions for use given in our product packaging with care.