
Raspberries are usually bright red and painful, and, no — not the fruit. Raspberries, strawberries, road rash — whatever you call these scrapes — are painful and can be difficult to treat. Some suggest wrapping the wound, while others suggest airing it out. Chelsea Mann, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Health System Family Medicine physician, sets the record straight for treating skin abrasions.
“Skin abrasions are wounds to the top layer of skin,” says Dr. Mann. “They generally heal quickly, but large and deep abrasions can cause scarring. The biggest threat is infection, so it is important to clean and treat the injury properly.
We see more skin abrasions in the spring and summer, because it’s baseball, softball and bicycling season. People are outside more and wear less clothing, which eliminates a protective barrier to the skin. A kid will slide into home base for the winning run but ends up with a painful trophy on his or her leg. Then, his or her parents have to figure out the quickest way to get the wound to heal.”
Dr. Mann’s tips for treating skin abrasions are:
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