What Do You Need To Know About Abrasion Wounds?

Date 10 Mar 2024  

Table of Contents

• Wounds on Skin
• All About Skin
• What are Abrasion Wounds
• What Causes An Abrasion
• Types of Abrasion Wounds
• Stages of Healing For Abrasion Wounds
• First-aid/ Treatment for Minor Abrasion Wounds

Wounds on Skin

If you have ever accidentally fallen onto the ground with a rough surface, In that case, you might have seen the superficial skin of your injured area abraded along with slight bleeding or bruising. 

Did you panic on seeing your skin scratched or rubbed hard after getting injured? Or is your concern being whether your abrasion wound heals to leave scars? You might have many questions coming up in your mind about what to do for your abrasion wound. In this article, you can learn everything about abrasion wounds, their treatment, and their care with expert insights on this concern by a plastic surgeon in Hyderabad at Eternelle Aesthetics. But, before jumping onto the abrasion wounds, let us throw some light on the skin to better understand them.

All About Skin

The skin is the largest organ in the human body. It is soft enough to allow for movement and strong enough to withstand wear and tear. The texture and thickness of the skin differ from one part of the body to the next. The skin has two primary layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the skin's surface layer, consisting of numerous sheets of skin cells. The dermis is located beneath the skin and contains skin structural proteins: the elastin that provides suppleness and collagen that provides firmness or strength to the skin. The dermis also has sebaceous glands, hair follicles, nerves, and blood vessels.

What are Abrasion Wounds?

Abrasions are one of the major types of skin wounds resulting from damage to the skin's epidermis. Mostly, they appear on the knees, elbows, and palms of the hands. 

Most abrasions are small cuts that can be quickly healed, are manageable at home, and do not require seeking the attention of a plastic surgeon. The minor abrasions usually heal on their own in some time, while the large, extremely painful, or infected abrasions may require medical treatment and cause scarring. In the latter case, it is recommended that a surgeon to be consulted to treat and manage them effectively.

What Causes An Abrasion?

Abrasion wounds are caused by friction, i.e. the skin getting rubbed against a rough, hard, or uneven surface. The friction leads to the destruction of the superficial layers of skin. Commonly, abrasion wounds are a result of:

• Falling upon a rough or gravelly surface
• Sliding into home plate (baseball)
• Road rash- dropping off a moving vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle, onto the pavement
• Carpet burn- rubbing the skin against a rough rug or carpeted surface.

Types of Abrasion Wounds

There are three types of abrasions, varying in their appearance:

• Linear: A linear abrasion is sometimes referred to as a scratch. It causes damage to the skin in a line-like pattern. It results from a sharp, pointed object, such as a thorn, coming into contact with the skin.
• Grazed: A grazed abrasion, or a brushed abrasion, is skin damage caused by rubbing against or dragging a rough surface. This type of abrasion can affect a huge portion of the skin. An example is a scraped knee.
• Patterned: A patterned abrasion is skin damage caused by an object coming into direct contact with the skin and rubbing against it. The wound on the skin is the same size and shape as the thing that an individual touched. One example is nail marks caused by a cat scratch. The feline claws reflect the size and shape of the wounds they make on the skin.

If you have any type of abrasion wound on your skin and are looking for an effective treatment to get it managed, contact Eternelle Aesthetics plastic surgeon to learn more about abrasion wound treatment in Hyderabad.

Stages of Healing For Abrasion Wounds

When the skin gets injured, the body immediately responds to healing abrasion wounds. Depending on the injury, the healing process might last for days, weeks, months, or even years. The basic stages of healing for abrasion wounds are:

1. When the skin gets wounded, the body takes action to maintain its natural state. Blood vessels near the injured area constrict, reducing bleeding. Blood platelets aggregate at the site and form a clot.
2. Once the clot has formed, the blood vessels dilate, enabling the most blood flow to the area. This causes inflammation. White blood cells work to clear the area of microbial infection and invasion of other foreign agents.
3. Next, new layers of collagen come and cover the abrasion wounds. Capillaries develop to nourish the developing skin tissue.
4. Contraction occurs at the wound's edges to lessen its size.
5. Surface skin cells move from one side of the wound to the other, covering the wound and forming new skin.
6. Depending on the injury, the wounded site may develop a scar. Scar tissue is generally more fragile than healthy skin.

If you want to know more about abrasion wounds, watch this video by our top cosmetic and plastic surgeon in Hyderabad:

First-aid/ Treatment for Minor Abrasion Wounds

An abrasion suggests the skin's surface layer (epidermis) has been broken. Thin-skinned bony parts such as knees, ankles, and elbows are more susceptible to abrasions than thicker, more protected body areas. An Abrasive-scraped skin is usually covered with dirt particles. 

First-aid given for abrasion wounds involves the following:

1. For abrasion wounds with minor bleeding points, the first step is to rush to a water source and clean the wound site under running water with gentle soap. Clean the wound using a non-fibre shedding substance or sterile gauze, and then apply an antiseptic ointment/liquid like Betadine. If there is embedded filth, Savlon can be used because it contains an antibiotic and a surfactant that helps remove the dirt. After five minutes, rinse the wound with Savlon with sterile saline or tap water.
2. After cleaning, pat the wound dry. Use a clean washcloth to do this. Avoid using dry cotton.
3. Scrubbing embedded dirt might cause additional damage to the area, so it must be avoided. 
4. Once the wound is clean and dry, cover it with a suitable non-stick, sterile dressing. 
5. Change the dressing as instructed on the packaging. Some dressings can be left on for a week or more. If you reapply antiseptic, rinse it off after five minutes and then redress the wound.

Treatment for major abrasion wounds resulting from traumatic injury

An accident, physical assault, or some other kind of traumatic incident can leave behind deep abrasion wounds. These wounds are the result of the removal of skin layers and subcutaneous fat. Such damages are repairable with the help of a plastic or reconstructive surgeon after the patient is in stable condition. The plastic surgeon at Eternelle Aesthetics aims to allow the patient to restore their appearance and no longer suffer from limited functioning of their affected area. They can help reconstruct the wounded area and get rid of traumatic scars, thereby improving the patient's appearance, life quality, and sense of wellness with best abrasion wound treatment in Hyderabad.

You can choose to discover the renewal of your deep abrasion injuries with the help of plastic surgery in Hyderabad by our expert plastic surgeons at Eternelle Aesthetics.