how long is a deep cut meant to take to heal?

I have a 9/10cm cut on my inner forearm, about 5mm wide which has been there almost 2 months and still shows little sign of healing. Originally I had 12 steristrips put on it. Now it's red with little ridges running across it and hurts everymorning when I wake up and move my arm. It tends to itch quite a lot as well. I asked a doctor if it was healing ok about 4 weeks ago and he dismissed my concerns but mostly I'm worried about itching because I don't want to scratch it.

Secondly, clearly with a cut of this size there'll be scarring, is there anything I should do now, or later, to reduce this?

Thanks.

:tsr2:

Reply 1

InnocentEyes

10

to reduce scarring - vitamin E oil, and make sure your diet is balanced and contains adequate vitamins etc.
as for the healing time, if you needed steristrips it's gonna take awhile. and deep cuts will heal on the outside first, so you might still get pain/itching when it's closed. if it makes you feel any better I have a year old scar that still itches and is very raised. it's nothing to *worry* about persay, you just need to be careful not to open it up again and lengthen the healing time cause that would make the scarring worse.

Reply 2

Kater Murr

20

Is this whole thing a metaphor, because you've broken up with your girlfriend, like in that song by Sheryl Crowe?

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

OP

InnocentEyes

to reduce scarring - vitamin E oil, and make sure your diet is balanced and contains adequate vitamins etc.
as for the healing time, if you needed steristrips it's gonna take awhile. and deep cuts will heal on the outside first, so you might still get pain/itching when it's closed. if it makes you feel any better I have a year old scar that still itches and is very raised. it's nothing to *worry* about persay, you just need to be careful not to open it up again and lengthen the healing time cause that would make the scarring worse.

Thank you. Where could I obtain vitamin E oil?

Reply 4

jonny0679

9

yes i think it is old kid

Reply 5

dh00001

16

itching can be a sign of healing.
is there any sign of infection in/around the wound and are you keeping it clean?

healing times is dependant on the individual and general health. 2 months is a bit much. i suggest going bacck to your docs but perhaps ask to see a different gp?

Reply 6

Imported

The evidence for Vit E to help in healing scarring is inconclusive, but if you want to try it then go down a health store like Holland & Barrat. They sell Vitamin E oil.

Reply 7

Anonymous #1

OP

dh00001

itching can be a sign of healing.
is there any sign of infection in/around the wound and are you keeping it clean?

healing times is dependant on the individual and general health. 2 months is a bit much. i suggest going bacck to your docs but perhaps ask to see a different gp?

What would infection look like? I don't have anything on it to keep it clean because it's a bit big for a plaster.

Reply 8

InnocentEyes

10

vit E oil from H&B as stated above.
signs of infection = heat spreading outwards from the wound, redness spreading in the surrounding skin, fever, pus in the wound.

to clean it you should theoretically get some iodine solution. you should really cover it with gauze if it still needs cleaning. this sounds a little odd but pantyliners are good plaster substitutes for large wounds, you need to hold them on with gauze. make sure you don't get soap or any other household cleaning agent near it.

Reply 9

Anonymous #2

If you have a deep cut and is bleeding, the first thing that should be done is to stop the bleeding. A clean towel would usually be fine if it is not bleeding profusely, Apply pressure on the wound. Try to hold the skin together. If blood leaks out from the towel, layer another towel on it. Do not remove the first towel as it takes off the blood clotting substances that stick to the towel. (The blood clotting substances will stop the bleeding.)

If able to, clean your wound with water or alcohol swabs before applying an antiseptic. If it is an open wound and it really hurts to touch it, you may move on to using a bandage until it dries up, then apply antiseptic to prevent infection.

If your wound is not dry, DO NOT use a gauze. The gauze fibres will stick to your wound and will cause difficulty(even pain as you try to pull it off, because it pulls open your wound too!) to remove the gauze. However, if you do experience sticking of the gauze and difficulty(and pain!), you may dip your finger in water and wet the gauze slightly. This will slightly loosen up the gauze from the dried blood. It is more advisable for you to use the triangular bandage, fold in neatly to cover the wound and secure with a bandage.

Seek a physician's help should you find pus(yellowish substance) forming in your wound. This is a sign of infection.

Deep cuts leave hardly removable scars. But attempts can be made to lighten and smoothen your scar. Vitamin C to support healing and prevent infection, Vitamin E to keep the scar moist, and scar healing remedies like Rose Hip Oil or Mederma Scar Cream. I have a deep cut on my forearm and I use these to aid my scar healing. It's a little slow at lightening, but the scar is definitely less raised right now.

ALL MATERIALS USED SHOULD BE STERILE!

how long is a deep cut meant to take to heal?

Related discussions

Articles for you