First thing to do in a bleeding situation is to apply pressure until it stops bleeding. Then run through the items in the article: is it really deep, really wide, any nerve problems – can’t move or tingling – then seek help. If it’s a small cut that stops bleeding after 5 – 15 minutes of pressure and there aren’t any deep tissues, nerves, tendons, etc., involved, you can likely go without stitches. Just use good bandage tape, instead of stitches, to bring the wound edges together. Make sure not to put tension on it or pop it back open. Keep it dry and covered for about a week. You want it moist but not soaked. And yes, finger injuries hurt a lot – you have tons of nerves in your hands and fingers. Sorry

Misty

Usually you’re more likely to scar if:
- the cut is wide
- the cut is reopened and has to heal again
- you allow the cut to dry out
- just because scars form sometimes

To help prevent:
- keep wound covered and moist for first few days up to the first week
- keep tension off the wound – don’t let it get pulled on
- Once the wound has knit together, massage Vitamin E oil, comfrey ointment, and other herbal rememdies into the wound
- Always use sunscreen every day for the first year on the scar to keep it from darkening permanently in the sun!

Good luck!

Misty

They put this X shape plasters and asked to go back in 3-4 days.
How are the chances of getting scar?
Been given contratubex….
I had 2 and 3rd degree burns on my face and went away , I wonder if this will also….

This evening I was making dinner for my dad and cutting a tomato with a small kitchen knife (My dad got me the small ones because he was afraid I would cut myself with the bigger one) and cut my middle finger near the nail. The wound didn’t look that deep or bad but a couple hours later, I’m still bleeding through the two band-aids I had on. Should I go see a doctor or what? My finger hurts something bad and it’s still bleeding. I dunno what to do!

Please help! Thank you so much!

I have four boys, so the swinging from the shower curtain is completely understandable!

Head wounds tend to bleed like crazy and look much more scary than they are. Of more concern would be the hit to the head. Worrisome things would be loss of consciousness, altered mental status (like confused, forgetting things, etc.), severe headache, pupils different or not getting smaller in reaction to light. None of these are very common, but it’s good to know what to watch for.

As far as the bleeding, the scalp under the hair is difficult to stitch and your in-laws are right – the scar will not be visible. If the wound is not deep, it’s usually fine to allow it to heal on it’s own. Again the downside is that you’ll need to work to keep it from getting pulled open. If his hair is long enough and he doesn’t mind, you can gently pull a small amount of hair from either side of the wound and fasten it with a small hair rubber band and leave that in for a few days while it heals.

Otherwise, I would try to keep it dry for a few days. You can gently clean away the crusty mess with a warm damp rag, but I wouldn’t shower it for at least 3 days or so. You can also apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment the first day or two, but not too many days, since it can be irritating. This can also help soften things up after a few minutes for the gently cleaning mentioned above.

I hope that helps, and I always encourage parents to go with their instincts – if something is really bothering you about how he is or how the wound looks, it’s best to get another opinion from someone who can look at it.

Hope he does better quickly!

Misty

(Disclaimer – As always, please consult your physician for medical advice. All content on the website is for informational purposes only.)