I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it seems to be doing OK.
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it seems to be doing OK.
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it washes away the dead cells and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve endings. If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm" over it when showering, that will keep the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is about 4x6 inches.
I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it seems to be doing OK.
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
Yes, indeed. I followed this advice recently, and, using the suggested tegaderm patches, was healed in about a week. Since the tegaderm can stay applied for a week at a time, it only hurt until I got the wound dressed. After that, water could get out but not in, even when showering or during physical activity. The liquid will stop draining after a few days.
Also, make sure you heed the advice about taping the egdes, as it tends to unstick with time.
-- Jeremy A. Gray [email hidden]
"Remember the Pueblo." -- the Fourth Law of Marvin
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it washes away the dead cells and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve endings. If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm" over it when showering, that
will keep
Quoted message said:
the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is about 4x6 inches.
Happy healing!
jw RN milwaukee
Speaking of road rash, has anyone tried that Bandaid Liquid bandage? I have seen it advertised, but it's not available here just yet. Great idea, of course, being used for years by medical professionals, but I can see cyclists lining up for it. Probably not good for big patches of road rash, but for smaller ouchies it could probably be great.
"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
I got some road rash this weekend, which I cleaned well and am keeping covered and moist -- it seems to be doing OK.
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems like there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each day.
Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.
Showers are no problem with it on, neither is riding.
"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:AJCya.434
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Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.
I rarely crash (I'm a bit of a wimp in pushy situations) and in the falls I've had haven't had road rash since, like, I can't remember. Maybe 1987? Sprained wrist, broken helment (incident with a car -- I would have been deaaddd!!!!!! without my helmet), torn clothes are all I can remember in the recent past.
But yeah, I'll try to get some Tegaderm today.
JT
-- ******************************************* NB: reply-to address is munged
keeping it wet, and washing off the slimey tissue is the quickest way to heal. It also scars less. I learned that the hard way when I had a big wipe out in SF years ago. try a bath, if you have the time.
yer ol' teammate from #*!head
O
[email hidden] (John Forrest Tomlinson) wrote in
Quoted message said:
But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate it but am wondering if this is slowing the healing.
My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and does it until it dries. But it works well on small abrasions,cuts or blisters. I don't think it would do very well on road rash.
Vaughn
"Marlene Blanshay" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
(J999w) said:
Quoted message said:
> > But each day when I'm taking a shower the plain water on it hurts quite a lot. I can tolerate > it but am wondering if this is slowing
the
Quoted message said:
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> healing. Should I be trying to not let water get on it? It seems
like
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> there is a little dead cells and liquid that comes off the wound that I'm washing away each > day. >
Water won't hurt as long as it's clean. (no germs). Like you state, it
washes
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
away the dead cells and lymph fluid. THe pain is from the bare nerve
endings.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
If it's small enough, throw a "Tegaderm" over it when showering, that
will keep
Quoted message said:
the water off the nerve endings. The biggest I've seen is about 4x6
inches.
Quoted message said:
Quoted message said:
Happy healing!
jw RN milwaukee
Speaking of road rash, has anyone tried that Bandaid Liquid bandage? I have seen it advertised, but it's not available here just yet. Great idea, of course, being used for years by medical professionals, but I can see cyclists lining up for it. Probably not good for big patches of road rash, but for smaller ouchies it could probably be great.
"John Forrest Tomlinson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:AJCya.434
Quoted message said:
Given the years you've been racing, I'm surprised you haven't latched onto Tegaderm.
I rarely crash (I'm a bit of a wimp in pushy situations) and in the falls I've had haven't had road rash since, like, I can't remember. Maybe 1987? Sprained wrist, broken helment (incident with a car -- I would have been deaaddd!!!!!! without my helmet), torn clothes are all I can remember in the recent past.
But yeah, I'll try to get some Tegaderm today.
Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or larger) and not many stock it.
The best place to go is whichever pharmacy supplies your local burn center. Typically, those pharmacies will stock it in sizes up to 11x17".
My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and does it until it dries.
...after which point is just stinks to high heaven. I find the solvent-raw plastic smell wafting from the bandage so distracting that the first time I tried it I washed it off an hour later.
My wife and I call it "May Sting" because it says on the bottle that it may sting, IT DOES, and does it until it dries.
...after which point is just stinks to high heaven. I find the solvent-raw plastic smell wafting from the bandage so distracting that the first time I tried it I washed it off an hour later.
Oh yech... I had no idea it smelled.
I also saw something advertised called "Metaderm", which is supposed to be great for healing things like scars, surgery, stretch marks. IT's not like bandaid, but it's supposed to make things heal better with less scarring. I can see that going over well with cyclists also. However, I haven't seen it around here just yet.
"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email hidden]> wrote in message [Tegaderm]
Quoted message said:
Most pharmacies have the 2.5 x 2.5" size, but oftentimes us cyclists need the 4 x 4" size (or larger) and not many stock it.
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I just got some 4 x 4" -- ouch, it was $30 for ten...
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Will try it tonight.
Ow. I got a box of 10 3" x 4" Tegaderm patches for $8-10 at the local Longs' Drugs (West Coast equivalent of Rite Aid/Walgreens?). It's great stuff. I did find that if you've smeared too much Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the Tegaderm won't adhere as well. It kind of needs a margin of clean skin near the outer edge of the bandage. BTW, yet another advantage of Tegaderm is that you can put it near a knee or elbow and it won't fall off from repeated flexing.
I have heard that there is a spray on equivalent, but I also heard that it stings like hell. No thanks.
"Benjamin Weiner" <[email hidden]> wrote WRT Tegaderm: "It's great stuff. I did find that if you've smeared too much Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the Tegaderm won't adhere as well. It kind of needs a margin of clean skin near the outer edge of the bandage. "
I would suggest not using any Neosporin, etc. under Tegaderm or any of the other semi-permeable dressings. It is not needed, does little to improve wound healing and will make the semi-permeable dressing stick less well. I have posted a method for applying these types of dressings that works very well and gets more use out of each dressing which decreases the fuss and cost. You can find it at:
"Mike Murray" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<qHUya.970427$S_4.989626@rwcrnsc53>...
-clipped stuff-
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I have posted a method for applying these types of dressings that works very well and gets more use out of each dressing which decreases the fuss and cost. You can find it at:
It's great stuff. I did find that if you've smeared too much Neosporin/polysporin on the rash, the Tegaderm won't adhere as well.
When I took my Wilderness First Responder course, they were clear that you should *not* put polysporin directly on any wound, regardless of the dressing. If is designed to kill bacteria, but in sufficient quantities, it can apparently kill some healing tissue.
What they told us was that all you want to do is create a sterile environment, and should put a light layer of polysporin on the dressing itself. If you're using a moist dressing (I'm not familiar with Tegaderm, but I'm going shopping) that seems unecesary.