Thread: A big-ass nick

So I have acne because I'm only barely 20 and haven't grown out of it yet. A few weeks ago now my blade caught on a zit while I was shaving and cleaved a bit out of my chin. It was a pretty deep cut, but I've been regularly applying thick amounts of neosporin. It seems better, but it's been at least 2 weeks and still hasn't sealed up all the way. Does anyone know of any better way to tackle this?

I would let some air get to the cut and clean it with rubbing alcohol everyday. The problem with using Neosporin all the time is it keeps the cut moist.

When I was a teenager I cut my thumb with a cutting razor blade trying to make a mat for my art class. I received stitches and I kept Neosporin on it everyday with a band-aid. I went back in to have the stitches removed and the cut never healed properly and the edges of the skin were all white. All I did was keep a band-aid on it and took it off at night and sure enough it healed right up. As per Doctor's orders. ;-)

Try using Neosporin CREAM, not the ointment. The cream gets absorbed but does not block the air from the injury. Also, after a certain amount of healing, the ointment no longer helps as it cannot penetrate, the cream does. This is what my doctor told me anyhow and it seems to hold true.

polysporin or other zinc oxide cream should speed up healing.

Sorry for being off subject,But one glance at the title and my first thought was "Whats he doing shaving his ass with a str8 razor?" My deepest apologies.

If you do NOT want any scarring, keep the big gash moist. Drying of the wound will have a higher chance of scarring.

I recommend just keep doing on what you are doing. Applying Neosporin and covering it with a bandage right afterwards. After the wound has been properly healed, stop using a bandaid and apply Mederma to minimize any scarring.

Originally Posted by Logistics

The problem with using Neosporin all the time is it keeps the cut moist.

My mother always used to say let the air get to a cut. However I think she was wrong, keeping things moist seems to speed up and improve healing.

PS. I saw the title and also thought: 'Why is he shaving his ass? '

Originally Posted by welshwizard

My mother always used to say let the air get to a cut. However I think she was wrong, keeping things moist seems to speed up and improve healing.

PS. I saw the title and also thought: 'Why is he shaving his ass? '

As I understand it, the ointment is used to discourage bacteria from entering the wound allowing cells to regenerate, however by allowing some air to circulate by keeping it covered but not tightly covering the wound will allow it to recover faster. Keep in mind one should use a thin amount of ointment but allow for proper air circulation.

My idea was to let air hit the cut and keep it clean with alcohol. You are more than welcome to use ointment again but letting a over moist cut get air exposure would help. Also, the idea of using the cream versus ointment to allow proper air circulation also focuses on the point of discouraging bacteria and allowing air circulation.

I'm not a doctor but I did research this, asked mine and referenced my situation from the past and it falls in the same category. But, what do I know, I'm not a doctor.

when you are using polysporin or similiar products, you can actually overdose by using to much. all you need is a thin coat. alcohal can actually kill healing tissue, non scented antibacterial pump soap(bar soap can be very very dirty) does a good job of cleaning a wound. make sure you don't touch the wound with your hands throughout the day as there are some nasty things on public surfaces. i am not a doctor but have worked as a first aid attendent for close to 15 years as well as a body piercer for awhile so i have some experience with this kind of stuff. now, this is not in the books but a friend told me about something called Lasar's paste, which is pretty much a cold cream base w/ aspirin mixed in. he took a tree to the face and had 180 stitches put in, he used lasar's paste and the only time you can see scars is when he stretch's the skin. it tingles a bit but it has worked well for me over the years too.

Ouch! I cringed while reading what happened. Just give it time to heal and continue using the Neosporin.