Skin Healing: How to Help Minor Cuts Heal

Minor injuries, like a small paper cut on the finger, or a minor burn while cooking, can disrupt our busy lives. If you’ve acquired a minor cut, burn, or scrape, you’ll want to know how long it’ll take for your skin to heal so you can return to your everyday activities without having to think about irritation. 

Wound healing is a complex process, and many factors can interfere and delay the healing process. Find out how to help a minor cut heal and how Aquaphor Healing Ointment® for Minor Wound Care helps to create a protective environment to support healing. 

While most cuts heal naturally over time, there are ways to help aid the healing process for minor wounds like cuts, scratches, and burns. Most minor cuts will not require medical treatment, but when there is an open wound on the skin, the body's internal tissues become exposed to the external environment and bacteria. If you suspect that your cut is infected, be sure to contact a doctor for evaluation and treatment. 

To best support healing a minor wound, you want to provide an optimal healing environment for the skin. This means: 

1. Cleaning the affected area  
   Gently cleaning the area of your skin where you have a minor cut or scrape is an essential first step for optimal skin healing. Cleanse the affected area with mild soap and warm water and gently pat dry. If your irritated skin has a blister, be sure to take extra care not to rub, press on, or otherwise risk rupturing the blister. 
   
   
2. Protecting the skin so cuts can heal 
   The second step to aid the healing process  for your minor cut, scrape, or burn is to protect it from environmental contaminants like dirt and bacteria in order to foster undisturbed healing. Aquaphor Healing Ointment® for Minor Wound Care, a skin protectant ointment, protects and soothes the skin to enhance the natural healing process and help prevent external irritants from reaching the wound. Applying this minor wound and burn ointment after cleansing provides a sting-free solution for soothing protection while you heal. 

Using Aquaphor Healing Ointment® on your minor cuts, scrapes, and burns creates a protective barrier on the wound while fostering an ideal moist healing environment. To create a consistently protected environment to allow skin healing to take place, apply Aquaphor Healing Ointment® daily until the wound has healed completely, covering it with a sterile plaster or bandage if needed. 

You can reapply Aquaphor Healing Ointment® as often as you like throughout the day or night to help keep your skin protected and soothed. 

The length of time it takes for a cut to heal depends how large or deep it is. Small cuts and scratches will usually heal in 1-2 weeks, while larger wounds may take 2-3 months, or longer. 

Open wounds tend to take longer to heal than closed wounds. Large or deep wounds likely require medical attention, and deep wounds may require sutures. Surgical wounds usually take less time to heal than other wounds, averaging 6-8 weeks. However, care should be taken, and physician’s advice followed, as the underlying condition or reason for surgery may not be healed and can take longer than 6-8 weeks. A wound which takes longer than the expected time to heal is known as a chronic wound. These types of injury may take years to heal or may never heal at all.   

Remember, Aquaphor Healing Ointment® is only meant to help support the healing of minor wounds and minor burns. Be sure to see a doctor if you have a wound that is deep, bleeds heavily, or shows signs of infection like redness, swelling, or warmth, or if you have other accompanying symptoms like fever, chills, or discomfort. 

When treating minor cuts and scrapes at home, always carefully read and follow the instructions on any skincare product packaging. 

Risk factors that can impact how long it takes a cut to heal include: 

• Age: Wounds can take longer to heal for older people, who have reduced capacity to create new body tissues. 
• Immune system: Those with a compromised immune system may find that their cuts heal more slowly. 
• Medical conditions: Conditions such as diabetes and heart disease can slow the body’s wound healing abilities. 
• Nutrition: Certain vitamin or nutritional deficiencies can have an impact on the body’s ability to heal. 
• Smoking and alcohol intake: Smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol can make it harder for your body to fight infection and rebuild tissue and can contribute to slower wound healing. 
• Lack of sleep: Our immune system consumes lots of energy when repairing tissue damage and fighting infection. Recent research shows that disruption to sleep cycles can significantly delay the wound healing process. 
• Physical exercise: While getting enough rest and sleep is important, regular exercise improves blood flow and reduces inflammation. Even less intense activities like walking can help to encourage wound healing. 
• Poor wound management: Over time, even if it looks like a wound is healing, it’s susceptible to further damage or infection. Be sure to keep it clean and protected until it’s fully healed. 

Occasional minor cuts and scrapes are bound to happen, but the healing process doesn’t always have to be long and uncomfortable. By keeping your cut clean, monitoring for signs of infection, and keeping skin protected with Aquaphor Healing Ointment®, you can help give your skin the soothing support it needs to heal. 

The information provided herein is not intended to be medical advice. Nor is it intended to treat the underlying skin disease or condition. The information is provided solely to:  

1. Moisturize, soften and smooth dry skin  

2. Improve the appearance of the skin  

3. Achieve healthier-looking skin