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7 Ways to heal wounds faster and reduce scars at home

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You’ve probably heard that leaving a wound open to dry will help it heal faster – but this along with many other wound healing anecdotes like using alcohol or peroxide — ouch! — should be over.

Leaving a wound uncovered can dry out new surface cells which can increase pain or slow healing - wounds need moisture to heal so moist wound healing not only speeds up healing but reduces scarring. And according to Smokefree.gov nicotine tightens blood vessels which prevents essential nutrients from reaching a wound, so try say away from the cigarettes while you heal up. You can also eat healthy by ditching the “empty calories” for vitamin c, omega-3 and zinc rich foods which will also help to speed up the healing process.  

Here are some effective (and interesting) ways to improve healing and reduce scars – inside and outside:

*Note: Always see a doctor if wounds are deep, if there are signs of an infection or if you’re diabetic.

Comfrey is a natural anti-inflammatory that contains phytochemical allantoin, which enables faster cell growth, improve healing and reduce scarring. Combine fresh or dried Comfrey leaves with warm water (to make a paste) and place over the wound, covering with a bandage or plaster.

To increase blood flow to the skin and help to speed up healing, you can apply heat to the wound. Put a heating pad (or water bottle) on the wound or place the area in a bucket of warm water for 15 – 30 minutes.

To prevent bacterial infections, ensure you wash your hands thoroughly before treating a wound.

After stopping the bleeding, wipe any dirt from the wound with a clean cotton cloth or organic cotton balls and salt water. For a pain-free alternative, you can use the Elastoplast Wound Cleansing spray (suitable for children too) to clean the wound. Spray the entire wound area from a distance of about 10cm, thereafter dry the wound before covering with a plaster.

To help the body heal itself quicker, ensure you eat the right dosage of power foods; including protein, Vitamin C, D, E, Omega-3 and magnesium. This includes dark green, leafy vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, bell peppers, tomatoes, meats and dairy.

Aloe Vera helps with all kinds of skin problems, including bruises and cuts. The gel of Aloe Vera can be bought from a pharmacy or extracted from a fresh plant - remove the thorns, cut in half and apply on the skin. Keep it in place with a plaster.

For even faster moist healing, use Elastoplast’s  Wound Healing Ointment, which has no harsh chemicals, ointment which heals wounds at twice the rate of untreated wounds, as well as helps reduce scarring.   

This post is sponsored by Elastoplast produced by Brandstudio24 for Health24.

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