How to Treat a Small Cut or Scrape

However small the "owie," it can still hurt quite a lot (like the notoriously painful paper cut), and it requires your attention to avoid any risk of infection. When you've got a small cut or light abrasion, follow the steps below to make it feel--and heal--better. Seek medical help if the cut is bleeding profusely, is very deep, involves the eye area or causes concern.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Adhesive Bandages
• Butterfly Bandages
• Soap
• Sterile Gauze

1. Have the person sit down if he or she is feeling weak.
2. Make sure the victim has had a tetanus shot within the last 10 years, especially if the wound is deep, dirty, involves an animal bite or is a puncture wound.
3. Before you touch the area, wash your hands with soap and water.
4. Apply light pressure to the area with sterile gauze to encourage blotting. It takes 5 to 8 minutes for bleeding to stop on a minor cut or abrasion.
5. Clean the area with soap and water. Remove any dirt or debris.
6. Allow the wound to air-dry before you apply a sterile adhesive bandage.
7. Use butterfly bandages or narrow adhesive strips on small cuts, especially on the face. These bandages pull the skin together to promote healing and minimize scars.
8. If the cut or scratch is on a knee, elbow or other joint, use an adhesive bandage designed to be flexible so that it can withstand lots of movement. This is especially useful for athletes, manual laborers and rambunctious children.
9. Replace the bandage every one to two days or after a bath or shower.
10. See a physician if the cut or scrape becomes swollen or irritated, or if the skin around it turns warm or red. The wound may be infected.

Tips & Warnings

• Resist the urge to pick at the scab, which can lead to scarring and infection.
• If the cut is on a prominent location on the face and you are worried about long-term scarring, visit a certified plastic surgeon. A plastic surgeon can use multiple, tiny sutures to reduce or eliminate scarring.