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Scrapes, Scratches And Cuts: Dr. Starbuck Explains

Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash
Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash
Photo by Brian Patrick Tagalog on Unsplash

Hi! I’m Dr. Jamison Starbuck, a naturopathic family physician. I’m here today with health tips for kids about: scrapes, scratches and cuts. 

Everybody has had a scrape, a scratch and a cut. They’re usually pretty simple injuries that older kids can take care of themselves. But it’s nice to know what to do, and when to ask for help, and how to make these injuries heal up as quickly as possible.

Scrapes and scratches are kind of the same thing, in different shapes. A scrape is when a wide patch of your skin has been peeled off when you slide along something hard. It’s what can happen if you fall off your bike and your arms skid along the sidewalk. Scrapes aren’t usually deep so they don’t bleed a lot. But they can get a lot of dirt on them and they make a big scab when they heal.

Scratches happen when a narrow patch of skin is peeled off by a sharp object. Scratches are also pretty shallow and they don’t bleed too much. But because they are so narrow, dirt and germs can get stuck in scratches, and that’s not good.

The best thing to do for both scratches and scrapes is to wash them right away with soap and cool water. Soap and water will get rid of dirt and germs that might be hanging around. Make sure you also wash the skin all around your injury. If you are out playing, you probably won’t have soap with you. But you or somebody nearby might have a water bottle and you can use that water to splash on your injury. When you get home, give your wound a good clean up with soap and fresh water.

A cut is a more serious than a scrape or scratch because cuts go deeper. Germs can get further into your body and cuts take longer to heal. Even so, kids can take care of lots of their cuts.

If you get a cut, grab a clean cloth or a paper towel and press it over the cut to stop it from bleeding. While you hold the cloth over the cut, find an adult and tell them what happened. They can help you wash the cut and the area around it with soap and water, and they will know if the cut is serious enough to need a doctor visit. If the cut is not too big and not too deep, you can just dry it and cover it with a bandage. Make sure that you wrap the tape or the band aid around the cut in a way that holds the sides of the cut together.

I like to put a liquid medicine made from Calendula on cuts and scrapes and scratches. Calendula is a flower that looks like a big marigold. In the summer, you can find Calendula in flower pots and gardens. The medicine made from Calendula kills germs and helps new skin grow so it’s great for skin injuries. Your parents can buy a water-based liquid form of Calendula and put it right on your injury several times a day. Don’t use Calendula lotion or salve on fresh wounds!

A very important thing about wounds is for you and your parents to check them regularly. It’s normal for a skin injury to be red at the edges and a little puffy for a day or so. But if your wound is staying red or puffy, or if it’s hot or bleeding, your parents should take you to the doctor to make sure you don’t have an infection.

It’s not too fun to get hurt, but it’s really fun to know how to help yourself get better! I’m Dr. Jamison Starbuck and I’m wishing you well.

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