What is skin avulsion? It is the tearing of the skin and causing a severe wound. It often happens from accidents or traumas. Avulsions are deep, painful wounds that need cure soon. If not, it will lead to infections. They bleed quickly and excessively and one feels severe pain due to it.
The first thing to do is thoroughly rinse the dirt or debris on the wound and clean the wound with water and mild soap. Then bandage it to prevent any dirt or bacteria from entering the injured area. Apply pressure on the bruise to avoid further bleeding.
All About Skin Avulsion
Avulsions are of various types, and skin avulsion injury is the most common one as it can be caused by the most simple and most complicated accidents. It can be due to a cut from a knife, injuries while playing sports, motorbike accidents, attacks by an animal, etc.
The best treatment for skin avulsion is to apply a small layer of antibiotic on the injury. It will help to keep the wound clean and reduce scarring. Usually, avulsion is not life-threatening but can get infected if not treated.
You will notice symptoms like severe pain, redness, swelling, pus, etc. Make sure to get treatment soon since infections can be dangerous. It is not a serious injury, but sometimes you will have to put on a cast or maybe do surgery and rest enough.
Treatments For A Skin Avulsion
The skin has three layers namely the epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis. And in an avulsion, layers of skin are torn off, exposing muscles, tissues, etc.
You can treat avulsion at home by cleaning the wound and applying ointment, then bandaging it. It takes a long time to heal on its own, so treatment is required.
The treatment depends on the depth of your injury. If it is a minor injury, it can be treated at home. But if it is a major one, it needs professional medical care.
? Stitching
Stitching is a common method of treating skin avulsions. Doctors can use stitches to heal wounds that aren’t too wide but are deep.
? Surgical reattachment
Surgical reattachment to the skin is an option if a healthy skin flap is connected to the wound. For this treatment, there should be enough blood flow in the body.
? Skin grafting
Skin grafting is another option for treating skin avulsions. This procedure is used when a skin flap cannot be used to close a wound. The injured area receives a graft of healthy skin from another section of the body.
The thing to keep in mind when treating a skin avulsion at home is that you should not use any antiseptics as they might cause more damage to the injury.
The healing will take time and till then you will have to keep the wound clean by changing the dressing each day or if it gets wet. Also, do not rub harshly on the stitches if not healed properly. Apply a wet cloth on the wound that will give a cooling effect.
Also, avoid direct sunlight on the wound as the color of the skin may change where there is a wound. Be cautious about getting infections too, look for symptoms like redness or swelling. Take note that not all injuries can be treated at home.
When To Consult A Doctor?
If the pain is unbearable, the doctors may prescribe oral antibiotics. But for minor cuts or injuries topical antibiotics can be used. It might take 3 to 12 weeks for an avulsion to heal completely.
So, till then rest properly and follow the prescribed medicine as directed. And as for how to prevent a skin avulsion, not all accidents can be prevented, but we can be careful about it.
Make sure to contact your doctor if you experience further pain after getting treated or if you find it hard to move the body where there is an injury.
If the situation gets worse and there is redness, swelling, or pus on the wound, don’t wait to look for home remedies, rather consult a doctor immediately. Also, take care of the wound until healed completely. As it might cause infection if not looked after.
