Cuts and Scrapes

Cuts and Scrapes

The rough-and-tumble years may be behind you, but some how you never fully outgrow your vulnerability to cuts and scrapes. In fact, the chances of minor wounds can increase once you’re over 60, because your skin isn’t as protective as it once was.

“Ultraviolet rays make the skin more fragile and thin, especially as you grow older,” says Frederic Haberman, M.D., assistant clinical professor of medicine (dermatology) at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City and director of the Haberman Dermatology Institute in Ridgewood, New Jersey. “Fragile skin is much more vulnerable to cuts and scrapes if you bump up against a hard surface.”

If you have a minor wound or scrape, you can use the advice here to deal effectively with it. And once you have your cut under control, you may want to consider the tips on reducing your chances of injury.

Try This First

Stop the bleeding. Use gauze, a bandage, a clean cloth such as a towel or washcloth, or your hand to stop the bleeding, says Wyatt Decker, M.D., consultant and trauma coordinator in the department of emergency medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Apply pressure directly to the wound. If the wound is on your arm or hand and it is bleeding profusely, raise your arm above the level of your heart and continue to apply pressure to the wound until the bleeding stops, he says.

Other Wise Ways

Clean the cut. Once the bleeding has stopped, clean the injured area thoroughly with ordinary soap and water, says Larry Millikan, M.D., chairman of the department of dermatology at Tulane University Medical College in New Orleans. Keep the wound clean by soaping and rinsing it three times a day.

Keep it moist. Apply an antibiotic ointment or ordinary petroleum jelly, says Dr. Millikan. Moist wounds heal quicker and are less susceptible to scarring.

Put on a second skin. Try using a colloidal dressing, a new over-the-counter product that can cut healing time in half, according to Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., head of clinical research in the department of dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. Like a second skin, a colloidal dressing is a membranous, jellylike material that breathes, allowing air, but not water, to pass over your wound. This locks moisture in, which helps you to heal quickly.

Wear protective clothing. Older people who have diabetes or who are taking steroids for arthritis must be especially careful when working outdoors, says Dr. Decker. “They have skin that is prone to tearing easily,” he says. “I would advise wearing gloves for any kind of manual labor outside the house.” Also, when gardening or doing yardwork, wear trousers, long sleeves, and gloves.

Moisturize your skin. Cover your skin with a good moisturizer, even if the skin itself will be covered by long sleeves or pants. “Skin that is dried out is subject to more cuts, scrapes, and fissures than moist skin,” Dr. Haberman says.

Know the problem spots in your home. Be careful on stairs and never move quickly on hardwood stairs in stocking feet, Dr. Haberman advises. Hardwood stairs are slippery and you can fall easily and scrape or cut yourself. “Also, be careful getting in and out of the shower, which is where many older people injure themselves each year. Often, there’s a counter that we bump into over and over again, or some object in the house that causes us trouble. That’s the kind of thing that we have to change to prevent injury.”

Block those rays. Use plenty of sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to protect any exposed area of your body from the sun, especially your face, hands, and neck, Dr. Haberman says. This will reduce the ultraviolet damage that makes your skin fragile.