Use wound care ointment before or after scabbing

Wound care ointment can be used before and after scabbing, but the types of ointments and purposes of use vary greatly at different stages. There is no standard answer that "must be used at a certain stage." The choice must be based on the wound condition and your needs.

I was frying fried pork at home a while ago, and my arm was scalded with three blisters from the spilled oil. After the blisters were opened, light yellow tissue fluid continued to leak out. At that time, the doctor prescribed recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel and silver sulfadiazine cream, and told me to apply a thin layer of it twice a day, and wipe the exudate with normal saline before applying.

The care cream applied at this time is not for "scar removal" as everyone thinks. It has two core functions: it is either antibacterial and anti-infectious to prevent the exposed wound from being contaminated by dirt and inflammation, or it helps epidermal cells grow faster and reduces the probability of scarring on the wound. It should be mentioned here that not all wounds need to be applied before scabs form. For example, if you just rub the skin with your finger and there is not much bleeding, or the wound is very shallow, it will heal after two or three days of drying. If you apply it, it will make you feel stuffy. There are also many surgeons who support dry healing who recommend that small wounds be kept dry and scabbed without the need to apply additional ointments. This view is absolutely fine and is indeed suitable for superficial wounds with almost no wounds.

But if the wound is deep and large, such as a large piece of skin removed from a knee fall, or a small incision after a burn or surgery, apply a thin layer of symptomatic care ointment before scabbing, the recovery speed of wet healing will be much faster, and the probability of leaving scars will be low. Don't believe it, my kid downstairs broke his knee while running and playing last week. His mother was afraid of infection, so she applied a thick layer of erythromycin ointment. As a result, the exudate was all suffocated in the ointment the next day, and the hard scab that was supposed to form softened into a translucent paste with pus leaking out. It took almost half a month to recover, but the wrong method was used: the ointment must be thin before scabbing, just enough to cover the wound. If it is thick, it will affect the drainage of exudate and make it easier to get infected.

I used to think that when a scab formed, it meant that the wound was healed, and that I didn’t need to worry about anything and just wait for the scab to fall off on its own. It wasn’t until last winter when I fell on my calf bone while riding an electric bike that the scab was as hard as a small piece of armor. It hurt when I pulled the skin when I walked, and a small opening would ooze blood if I wasn’t careful. I then realized that choosing the right ointment after the scab has formed can save me a lot of trouble.

Stop using antibacterial and growth-promoting care creams at this time. They are useless and wasteful. If the scab is particularly hard and painful to pull, you can apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or a mild repairing moisturizing ointment to soften the scab and also separate the scab from external dirt, preventing dust and other things from getting into the gaps of the scab and causing inflammation. After the scabs fall off naturally, if you are worried about leaving scars, you can switch to a silicone-based scar removal cream, which will be useful only at this time.

Many people do it in reverse order. My best friend had a mole a while ago. She didn’t apply the growth factor prescribed by the doctor before the scab formed because she didn’t think it was troublesome. As soon as the scab formed, she rushed to apply the scar removal cream she had stocked up on it. As a result, the cream softened the scab and fell off early. The new skin underneath was still very tender, leaving a light red mark. It took more than three months for it to disappear. It was a completely useless effort.

To put it bluntly, before you worry about when to use it, you need to understand two things first: First, what is the nursing cream in your hand for? Is it antibacterial? Growth-promoting? Or scar removal? Second, what is the status of your wound now? Is it a fresh wound that is still exuding fluid, or is it in the recovery period with hard scabs forming? If you are really unsure, you can take a clear photo and ask a doctor in a community hospital or a licensed pharmacist in a drugstore. Don’t try blindly on your own. After all, if you leave obvious scars, you will be the one to suffer.