Careless handling of a knife in the kitchen, the use of sharp objects at work or in the household can cause cuts on the body. After the violation of the integrity of the skin, traces remain. Some of them may be on the body after the wound has healed. If you don't want to put up with them, here are some tips to help you remove cut scars.
Scar formation after a cut is a normal course of wound healing. The type of scar depends largely on several factors:
- Depth and length of the wound.
- The location of the cut.
- Physiological characteristics of a person.
- Asepsis of the wound.
The appearance of a scar can be the result of various types of skin injuries:
- tissue incision during surgery or plastic surgery;
- deliberately opening the veins in the wrist on the arm;
- injury to fingers and the inner side of the palms by broken dishes;
- cut feet when stepping on broken glass;
- violation of the integrity of the skin of the face, legs and other parts of the body with a razor blade during hygiene procedures;
- household knife injuries.
Complete healing of injured skin occurs after 6-12 months from the moment of injury. If a person has a tendency to pathological development of a scar, treatment should be started at the beginning of its formation. Scar tissue maturation takes place in 4 stages:
- An exudative or inflammatory phase that lasts the first week after receiving a wound.
- Wound granulation (lasts about a month).
- Scarring of connective tissue (continues for 3-5 months from the day of the cut).
- Complete healing of the wound surface with the end of scar formation.
How noticeable the scar will be depends on the performance of the measures during the first two stages of scar formation. Attention should be paid to the wound on open areas of the body: face, arms, legs, décolleté, neck. Today, there are many ways to help prevent the formation of ugly blemishes on the skin.
In what cases can it hurt
You can often hear complaints about pain in the scar area. The reasons may be the following symptoms:
- If the scar is located on the foot, knee, elbow, wrist, folds of the fingers, sometimes unpleasant pulling sensations are felt in the scar. This is due to the location of the scar formation. With pressure, tension, flexion movements, pain may appear in previously injured places.
- The scar can hurt from frequent contact of the problem area with clothing. Rubbed, healed skin can cause soreness and redness.
- Deep cuts can cause injury to tendons and internal organs. During wounds and surgical operations, scar tissue forms on the surface of the skin and under it. Often the cause of pain after surgery is the formation of adhesions, hernia and ligature infiltration.
- If we are talking about, then it can hurt due to inflammation of the ligature when applying internal sutures. This phenomenon is not uncommon and pain can appear several years after the formation of scar tissue.
- Large scars, even old ones, can manifest themselves as painful sensations in the changing weather.
How to get rid of cut marks
Healing cuts scars worries girls and women more than men, especially when it comes to rough and large scars on exposed areas of the body. There are many options to help get rid of hated marks, including:
- the use of regenerating ointments;
- impact on problem areas using hardware procedures;
- treatment with cosmetic procedures;
- surgical removal of scars;
- reduction of scars by folk methods.
Let's consider each of the listed methods in more detail:
| Methodology | Description |
| Ointments, creams, gels | In the pharmacy, you can buy wound healing, restoring, which affect the formation of scar tissue during the healing of a cut and smooth out an already ripe scar, making it less noticeable. These drugs include Dermatiks, Contratubex, Zeraderm Ultra (for children), Skarguard, Kelofibraza. |
| Hardware techniques | Physiotherapy methods successfully combat various types of scars. Also, hardware methods are able to clean up. To do this, apply:
|
| Surgery | The surgical method is used in difficult cases when other methods are powerless. Plastic surgery with skin grafts can be performed for extensive burn scars. If steroid treatment does not help, ugly large keloid marks after cuts are excised by a surgeon, excess scar tissue is removed and a cosmetic suture with small stitches is applied. |
| Cosmetic procedures | You can remove marks on the skin after cuts with peeling. Distinguish between acidic (exposure to the skin with acids of various concentrations), mechanical (exfoliation of epidermal cells using abrasive substances) and chemical (smoothing of scars using chemical compounds). To remove the scar, cryotherapy is also used - removal of growths on the skin with liquid nitrogen. |
| Drug treatment | Getting rid of keloid and hypertrophic scars is possible by injections with corticosteroid solutions. |
| Exposure at home | You can heal a small fresh cut scar at home using simple and affordable recipes:
If you don't know how else to remove cut scars, you can always cover them with a beautiful and high-quality tattoo. |
How to avoid scarring as it heals
Even minor cuts can leave marks. You can influence how the marks on the skin will look after the wound has healed. To exclude a strong proliferation of connective tissue, great attention should be paid to the wound during its healing.
It is much more difficult to treat old scars or hide scars on the face with cosmetics than to properly heal the wound surface. To make scars neat and unobtrusive, you should use a silicone patch, which acts in three directions to form a post-traumatic mark:
- The plaster, exerting compression pressure on the wound surface, will not allow the growth of connective tissue, but will contribute to the parallel arrangement of collagen fibers.
- Under the applied product, the scar tissue is sufficiently hydrated to ensure its elasticity.
- A silicone-based preparation will protect damage from infection and help the wound heal faster and without complications.
Creams with a regenerating, moisturizing and absorbing effect will help to influence the formation of a neat scar and heal existing scars.
If we are talking about a large cut, then you cannot do without the participation of a doctor. Do not try to heal a massive injury yourself. Otherwise, the edges of the wound will disperse and a hypertrophic scar will form in its place. Photos on the Internet are evidence of how unattractive scars on the body that are not cured in time can look after accidental or intentional cuts.
To prevent overgrowth of the scar will help the imposition of a cosmetic suture on the wound, its subsequent treatment with antiseptic agents to exclude complications due to the addition of infection and the application of restorative creams.
Parents who see their teenager cuts often ask why their teenager cuts their arms. Physical pain relieves psychological distress. The brain secretes special neurotransmitters, endogenous opiates, which bring relief and even euphoria. A teenager cuts his hands in moments of intense experience that he is unable to experience or express otherwise.
Another function of self-injurious and parasuicidal behavior is to draw the attention of others to the seriousness of their experiences. It often happens that parents read this message, but it has the opposite effect. That is, if there is a suspicion that a teenager is so attracting attention, then the conclusion is paradoxical: that in this case you should not pay attention.
The self-harming behavior of the adolescent is often an anger. This is due to the peculiarity of borderline behavior, when two messages are given simultaneously: "I hate you, but do not leave me." Therefore, it is difficult to respond to such a message with a request for help, because in addition to sympathy, you feel anger, and sometimes only one anger.
Because a teenager behaves as if he only cares about his feelings, and does not care about others. He does not understand that suicide attempts frighten parents and make them experience very difficult feelings. Of course, it is difficult to give a teenager the attention it deserves when he is acting this way.
But it is important to understand that a signal for help is really a signal for help. She is needed, and the teenager makes it clear as best he can. So there are two answers to the question of why teens make cuts on their hands: because it is a quick way to relieve intolerable experiences, and so that those around them will understand the severity of these experiences.
It is argued that such signals should be ignored because they reinforce self-injurious behavior. But it is important to understand that without help a teenager may not cope with his problems, they can become too difficult for him. Lack of reaction to self-harm strengthens the adolescent to think that others do not care about him, which makes him even more lonely.
Therefore, it is necessary to react to cuts on the hands, but not with a momentary emotional reaction, but in a complex manner. First, it is worth sending a teenager to a psychologist to help him deal with problems in communication and self-esteem.
Secondly, it is worth regularly allocating time for joint activities with the teenager in the activity that can captivate him. For a boy, it can be a motorcycle repair or basketball with his father, for a girl, shopping. The interests of a teenager do not always correspond to gender stereotypes, for example, a girl may like to understand a computer, and a boy may like to do gardening.
It is important to find an activity that will not be alien to you and that the teenager is really captivating or enjoyable. It is not easy to find a common language with a closed and depressed teenager, but deep down he really wants your attention, although, sometimes, he does not believe that you may be interested in the same thing.
It is also important to try to find an activity that will captivate the teenager and increase his self-confidence. It is best if it is a group activity that gives a sense of belonging to something important and in which you can make progress. This can be a sports section or a theater group.
You should not try to "attach" a teenager to some activity without wondering how much he likes it, or hoping that he will get carried away in the process. This, of course, is possible, but usually, if you do not talk with your child about what and why he might like it, you risk being disappointed and angry with him for the fact that all your efforts are useless.
If your teen is making cuts on her arms, be mindful that the work of overcoming self-harming behaviors will be time-consuming and will require your inclusion. If what I am writing is close to you, you can apply for psychological help through the page.
Life is filled with many unpleasant surprises, cuts, minor injuries, falls, which are accompanied by scratches, bruises, abrasions. Knowing exactly what to do in any given situation can help prevent serious cuts and injuries.
What is a cut, abrasion, scratch
A cut is a through damage to all layers of the skin, which is accompanied by damage to the underlying tissues. A scratch is a damage to the surface layer of the skin - the epidermis, which is limited in area and has, as a rule, a linear configuration. It is customary to call an abrasion a defect of the surface layers of the skin that is more significant in area.
Why do cuts and abrasions appear?
A common cause of this kind of injury is inattentive handling of piercing or cutting objects during work and at home. In addition, cuts sometimes occur as a result of injuries, manifestations of aggression. Scratches can be the result of careless handling of pets, appear as a result of scratching.
Occasionally, injuries can be sustained by falling on broken glass. In such cases, a piece of foreign material (glass or stone) remains in the wound. If you cannot easily remove a foreign body from a wound, you should see a doctor. An X-ray may be needed to detect a foreign object. If the wound does not heal for a long time, and near it there is pain, redness, fluid is released, it is likely that there may be a foreign body - a splinter or splinter.
Know how to provide first aid
Abrasions, cuts, scratches should be taken as an integral part of a healthy, curious childhood. No child is able to grow up without bruises, falls, injuries. Therefore, it is worth making sure that first aid can be provided by everyone who remains with the child. A special place is given to facial injuries in children. In the case of facial injuries, it depends on the correct treatment of the wound and the correct application of the bandage, whether the scar after the cut on the face remains minimal or noticeable.
Symptoms of a threatening nature with cuts that require mandatory medical intervention:
- throbbing bleeding;
- bleeding bright red (artery damage cannot be ruled out);
- heavy bleeding accompanied by a lot of blood loss;
- a scratch on the face, a cut in any other place, if it is desired to minimize the possibility of scar formation;
- a cut on the wrists or hand, when there is a danger of damage to tendons and nerves;
- a wound that is accompanied by an increase in temperature;
- the development of symptoms of inflammation - redness, red streaks, fever, swelling around the wound, spreading more than the finger around the wound;
- deep wound (stitches will have to be stitched);
- a contaminated wound in a patient who was vaccinated against tetanus more than five years ago;
- a wound that cannot be completely cleaned;
- soil mixed with manure got into the wound (the likelihood of tetanus infection remains high);
- a wound that does not heal for a long time (maybe some foreign material remains in the wound);
- a wound that is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, especially with head injuries.
On their own
For minor injuries, there is no need to seek help from a doctor. Minor scrapes and cuts can be healed on your own using medicine from your home medicine cabinet.
thanks
The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. A specialist consultation is required!
General information
Cut is called a violation of the integrity of the skin, carried out with the help of a sharp object. Shallow wounds of this nature affect only the dermis and subcutaneous fat layer. For their treatment, most often no special means are required. Deeper cuts are called cut wounds. As a result of such damage, the integrity of the muscles, ligaments, tendons and nerves, as well as blood vessels, is disrupted. Such wounds can be dangerous, and the patient should definitely see a doctor.The main factor that provokes the appearance of cuts is the careless use of sharp objects both at home and at work. Also, cuts can appear when injured, including during an attack.
Also, wounds of this type appear when falling on glass or untreated knotty logs, after which fragments of glass or wood chips can be found in the wound. Sometimes it is very difficult to cleanse the wound, then you need to see a doctor. In rare cases, X-rays have to be taken to detect fragments. It is prescribed if the wound does not heal for a long time, the tissue turns red and exudate oozes from it.
Views
Cuts differ in the type of objects with which they are applied:- blunt objects that leave ragged wounds. Such wounds usually appear in the area of bones ( on your knees, toes). The tissues around such wounds are very swollen and severely injured, scar more difficult, since their edges are uneven,
- sharp objects that leave cut wounds. Such wounds can be deep enough and affect not only the upper layers of tissues, but also deeper ones,
- thin and sharp objects that leave puncture wounds,
- combined injuries that remain after exposure to sharp and blunt objects.
What symptoms to look for?
Most often, bleeding from a cut stops after 10 minutes without the use of any means. If it does not stop for 20 minutes or longer, as well as if the wound was caused by a rusty, dirty object, if there is earth or pieces of glass in the wound, you should definitely see a doctor.In addition, you need to visit a doctor if the anti-tetanus serum was introduced more than 5 years ago, and the wound was made with a rusty or dirty object.
If the cut is on the face, the wound is long or deep enough, if its edges are not closed with an adhesive plaster, the help of a doctor is needed. Dangerous are deep wounds in the joints, on the chest, neck, face, palms. Also, you should definitely show the wounds to the doctor, if the victim is a baby, if the tissue around the wound turns red, swells and hurts. These are signs of infection. Attention should be paid if the tissue around the wound has lost sensitivity. If the blood does not stop, the victim has impaired motor skills of the limbs or fingers, or if he is in shock, an "ambulance" must be called urgently.
Complications
- trauma of large veins and arteries,
- cut infection ( the wound hurts, becomes covered with pus, turns red),
- tetanus. This is a serious illness that affects the nervous system. It is incurable. The pathogen develops in deep wounds without oxygen. To prevent the development of the disease, anti-tetanus serum is administered, which acts for ten years.
Injury of the extensor tendon
The extensor tendons begin at the nail phalanges and end in the middle of the forearm. It is through these tendons that impulses are transmitted from the muscles to the fingers for their extension. If in the upper part these tendons are rather thick and round, then near the nail phalanges they are flat ribbons.These tendons are adjacent to the bone from below, and from above are covered only by skin. That is, it is not difficult to damage them. Even a small cut can cause injury. Often they come off from the point of attachment to the bone, while the skin may not even be torn. Once the tendon is torn, the finger can no longer fully extend.
For cuts, the tendons are surgically sutured. Often, a tendon injury is combined with a bone injury, extensive soft tissue injuries. In such cases, the treatment becomes more complicated, prolonged and may not lead to an absolute cure. Sometimes you need a whole series of surgical interventions to get the result.
Treatment and stopping blood
Treatment of shallow and non-extensive cuts consists of the following measures that the injured person or people nearby can perform without the help of doctors:- cleansing the wound,
- stopping blood,
- sterile wound closure,
- antiseptic treatment.
If the wound is very dirty, 3% hydrogen peroxide or an antiseptic solution can be used.
The wound is closing
by applying a sterile dressing. Before that, it should be blotted with a clean cloth or bandage to dry after washing. Carefully examine the condition of the wound - it must be clean, the tissues are not torn, move the edges of the cut together. After that, a sterile bandage or napkin should be applied to the wound.
If a small child has a cut on the lips or chin, do not apply a bandage, as it will collect food and saliva residues.
A sterile dressing should not be changed frequently; this should only be done if the dressing is loose or dirty. But even in this case, you can not change the bandage, but only bandage it on top with a clean bandage again.
How to stop the bleeding?
The quickest way is to press a clean bandage or cloth over the cut. The bandage must be pressed tightly enough and held until the blood stops ( sometimes up to a quarter of an hour). This procedure is ineffective only if the arteries are affected. To make the blood flow less intensively, you need to raise the wounded limb up.
Head wounds almost always cause profuse bleeding, since there are a lot of blood vessels, it is often necessary to call a doctor to stop the bleeding.
If blood appears through the tight bandage already applied, you should bandage it even tighter with another piece of bandage. The first bandages should not be removed, as in this case it is possible to rip off the already clotted blood and resume bleeding.
When the blood is stopped, you need to bandage the affected area rather tightly, but at the same time not completely squeeze it - this will stop the blood supply to the tissues. There is no need to make a band-aid band around the limb, which can also disrupt the movement of blood. To understand how correctly the bandage is applied, you should press down the nail on the bandaged limb. It first turns white, after which it must quickly return to its pink color. Otherwise, the dressing is too tight and should be loosened a little.
Without special need, you should not resort to a tourniquet, since with the help of this tool, blood circulation in the affected limb can be significantly impaired. Use a tourniquet only if absolutely necessary.
Bleeding that doesn't stop after a quarter of an hour can be dangerous! You should call an ambulance or go to the doctor.
Wound treatment with antiseptics
This event is carried out to prevent wound infection. Most antiseptics suppress the inflammatory process, reduce the duration of scarring.
Antiseptics can be in the form of a solution in alcohol, water or in the form of a cream.
Aqueous solutions are used to treat wounds, as well as moisten tampons and wipes for sterile dressings. This treatment is completely painless and is often used to treat wounds in babies.
Alcohol-based solutions can burn the edges of the affected tissue and lengthen the scarring process. These drugs should be smeared around the cut. If the solution gets on the wound, it will pinch, the skin around the wound will turn red.
The ointment can be used to treat both the wound itself and the napkin that is applied to it. If the wound is wet, the ointment may lengthen the scarring period. If the wound is abundantly treated with ointment and a thick bandage is applied to it, maceration is possible ( softening) edges. which is imposed on it. If the wound is wet, the ointment may lengthen the scarring period. If the wound is abundantly treated with ointment and a tight bandage is applied to it, maceration (softening) of the edges is possible.
What to do if your finger is injured?
If your finger is cut in the kitchen and the wound is bleeding a lot, you should not try to stop the bleeding by placing your finger in cold water. Such measures will provoke even more bleeding. The best thing is to just raise your thumb up. Around the wound, the skin should be smeared with iodine, and the very surface of the wound should be treated with 3% hydrogen peroxide. It is forbidden to smear the wound with Vishnevsky ointment or ichthyol ointment, which are so popular among the masses. Next, you should put a tight bandage on your finger.
Here's a little secret: how to put it on your finger, so that it is convenient for them to act, and so that the bandage does not move out. The usual bandaging of the finger most often only leads to the fact that the bandages slip off after a while. And sometimes they dry out to the wound, and changing the dressing is then painful and unpleasant. To prevent all these troubles, you should wrap your finger at the cut with a ribbon of paper covering the entire phalanx. Then you can wrap a bandage or stick a plaster. This paper wrap will protect the wound, move the edges and help heal faster.
The bandage is easier to remove because the paper will not stick to the wound. According to the seasoned, it is best to use white stationery. Before applying it should be treated with hydrogen peroxide.
Ointment treatment
DexpanthenolIt is produced in the form of an ointment, spray, cream and lotion. Contains vitamin B5, quickly heals wounds, restores tissues, can be used to treat mucous membranes. Treat the affected area once a day.
Chamomile ointment
Relieves inflammation, antiseptic, accelerates tissue regeneration. Wounds are treated once a day.
Comfrey ointment
Relieves inflammation, stops bleeding, accelerates tissue repair. It is prescribed if the cut does not heal for a long time. The affected surface is treated two or three times a day before bedtime, a bandage is made.
Calendula ointment
Relieves inflammation, destroys microbes, accelerates tissue regeneration. It is very indicated for long-term non-scarring cuts. Treatments are carried out several times a day.
Betadine
It is produced in the form of an iodine solution and ointment. Strong antiseptic. May cause local skin irritation.
Etonium ointment
It inhibits the development of pathogenic microbes, relieves pain, accelerates scarring. Processing is carried out once or twice a day. Effective for purulent wounds.
Lifusol
Antiseptic, inhibits the development of microbes. It is prescribed for the treatment of wounds, including very contaminated ones ( first washed with an aqueous solution, then ointment is applied).
Special instructions for the use of certain drugs
- If the cut does not heal for a long time, you should drink a course of vitamins of group B, C, E and A,
- Treatment of wounds with iodine can provoke individual intolerance,
- People with impaired thyroid function should use iodine preparations only under the guidance of a physician,
- Boric acid solutions cannot be used to treat extensive body surfaces, since the drug is absorbed into the bloodstream and poisoning may develop. It is very dangerous for babies. Signs of boric acid poisoning: nausea, rash, kidney failure, diarrhea,
- Alcohol preparations should not be applied to the wound surface, using them only to lubricate the skin around the wound,
- Since any alcoholic preparations cause a burning sensation, it is undesirable to use them in the treatment of wounds in children,
- Deep cuts should not be treated with hydrogen peroxide, as clogging of blood vessels with air bubbles is likely,
- Lifuzol ointment creates a thin protective film on the surface of the wound, which protects the wound from microbes. You can remove it by wiping the body with alcohol,
- Lifusol is flammable. In addition, do not give a tube of ointment to babies.
Antibiotics
In order to prevent the development of pathogenic microflora in not very large cuts, most often only antibiotic ointments are enough. More effective are drugs containing neomycin, tetracycline, bacitracin, polymyxin sulfate, as well as combined drugs. Antibiotic treatment of an untreated and untreated wound within four hours after injury helps reduce the likelihood of complications, relieves pain, and accelerates tissue regeneration. But it is advisable to handle an already cleaned cut.Antibiotics should not be used for too long, as this can create favorable conditions for the development of superinfections ( mycoses). In the event that the cut is extensive enough and even the use of an antibiotic for five days does not give a result, you should definitely visit a doctor.
Antibiotic ointments:
- liniment synthomycin,
- levomekol,
- methyluracil,
- gentamicin ointment,
- levosin.
What affects the rate of healing?
1. Poor supply of blood and oxygen to the tissues adjacent to the wound. The more oxygen in the tissues, the more active phagocytes work in it - immune cells that absorb pathogenic organisms, blood vessels are restored faster, the state of the epithelium is normalized, and collagen production is accelerated. Lack of oxygen occurs in people with diseases of the heart, lungs, blood vessels, who have lost a large amount of blood.2. Body weight, age and diet of the patient. The production of collagen fibers requires proteins, minerals and vitamins, as well as carbohydrates. So, vitamin A is needed for wound epithelialization, vitamin C helps to normalize the state of cell membranes, and zinc accelerates cell regeneration. In elderly people with increased body weight, inflammatory processes take longer, collagen is slowly produced.
3. Pathogenic microbes. Microbes must immediately enter the wound. And only phagocytes can destroy them. If the victim has poor immunity, the wound is very dirty, there are fragments, dead tissue in it, then the phagocytes will not cope with their work. The production of restorative fibers deteriorates, scarring is inhibited, and inflammation lasts longer. Microbes absorb oxygen that is needed for body tissues. The main hazards to wounds are pyogenic and fecal streptococci, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli.
4. Diabetes. In such patients, all cuts are scarred very hard and for a long time.
5. Taking some medications. For example, in patients using glucocorticoids, immunosuppressants are inhibited by vascular restoration, collagen production, and local immunity is worse.
How to get rid of scars?
Cut scars can disfigure any part of the body. But you can get rid of them. It should be borne in mind that the less time has passed since the moment of injury, as well as the shallower the depth of the wound, the more effective the treatment of scars will be.For the correct choice of method for removing a scar, you must first of all keep in mind the nature of the injury and its depth.
If the cut was very shallow, you can use the microdermabrasion method - this is a kind of gentle peeling that removes only the uppermost cells of the dermis. The skin is treated with a diamond "abrasive wheel" that exfoliates dead cells, accelerating recovery. The treatment does not cause any discomfort at all. Sometimes it is necessary to carry out several procedures. At the same time, between the procedures, the skin looks normal, the body does not need to recover as after more severe procedures.
If the cut scars are deep enough, chemical peels should be used. This is a very powerful procedure. Acids, phenol and retinol act on the skin, which remove not only the upper, but also the deeper layers of the dermis, leveling it. After the procedure, skin regeneration takes about 7 days.
When should you definitely see a doctor?
In some cases, it is not enough just to treat the wound yourself. A doctor should be called if:- blood is thrown from the wound by jerks, if the blood is scarlet - a blood vessel is probably cut,
- the blood flows abundantly and does not stop,
- the cut is in a prominent place and the scar on it is undesirable,
- hands are affected - there are important tendons and nerves,
- symptoms of inflammation are present - redness covering the tissues by more than 2 cm around the cut, tissue swelling,
- an increase in body temperature,
- the wound is deep enough - in such cases it is necessary to apply a suture,
- the wound is dirty, and the last tetanus shot was more than five years ago,
- soil and animal excrement got into the wound ( e.g. manure) - in such environments there is a lot of tetanus pathogen,
- the wound does not heal long enough, exudate flows from it,
- after injury, the victim vomits and vomits - this is more true for head injuries in babies.
Doctor's help
How can a doctor help with deep or dirty cut wounds?- clean the wound from dirt and debris,
- suture
- if nerves, tendons or vessels are damaged, send to the hospital,
- prescribe antibiotics if the wound is infected
- get a tetanus shot.
The first thing that psychologists say to concerned mothers and fathers in this case: don't panic! Cuts on the hands do not indicate something irreparable. The psychologist reassures: cuts on the hands (as well as on other parts of the body) are not evidence that the teenager is thinking about suicide.
Cuts on the hands - how to treat
As with any wound, the cut should be cleaned. You can glue an adhesive plaster on top or wrap it with a bandage over a cut hand. For small cuts that are common among teenagers, these measures should be sufficient. For deeper cuts, it will be necessary to treat the cut wounds in the emergency room.
Why do teens make cuts on their hands?
The self-harming behavior of the adolescent is often an anger. He does not understand that suicide attempts frighten parents and make them experience very difficult feelings. Lack of reaction to self-harm strengthens the adolescent to think that others do not care about him, which makes him even more lonely. Therefore, it is necessary to react to cuts on the hands, but not with a momentary emotional reaction, but in a complex manner. If your teen is making cuts on her arms, be mindful that the work of overcoming self-harming behaviors will be time-consuming and will require your inclusion.
Also, self-scarring and mutilation can be a sign of mental illness or illness. In the sense of a, I could take my life. No matter how they push this to a difficult age, there are definitely mental deviations, there are also problems in communicating with loved ones and in his environment. When you then see the scars on a person of such a plan on his hands, you think that this is a suicide or has suffered from violence.
Some say that pain and flowing blood cause very pleasant experiences that interrupt those negative emotions that tormented before the act of self-harm. Cuts and bruises, which are acute stress, raise cortisol levels and can be a kick in helping a teen to digest his social problems. Conditions that can lead to self-harm are not always associated with poorly tolerated stress. Needless to say, people around them get scared and become more accommodating. More often, there is no demonstrativeness in self-harm. Teenagers hide scars from self-tapping, they are embarrassed to talk about them. If a teenager has inflicted wounds on himself or any other damage, especially if this has happened not for the first time, parents should pay close attention to this.
Psychologists have tried to figure out why teenagers cut themselves, where this need to self-harm comes from. Usually teens self-harm, but they don't want anyone to see it, especially their parents. Therefore, they cut, prick and burn those parts of the body that are easy to hide under clothes - the thighs, forearms, and chest. There are far fewer of those who do this ostentatiously in order to attract attention. The rest of the cases, when adolescents cut their hands and inflict other injuries, concern healthy children in a state of mental confusion and loneliness.
If you notice cuts on your teenager's arms: a parenting guide
From the author: Over the past 4 days, 3 families have contacted me at once, in which parents unexpectedly noticed cuts on the forearms of their teenage children. Three requests on one question in a matter of days is a lot. In each of these cases, finding multiple scars on the teenagers' forearms was a shock and a shock to the parents. By inflicting a wound, adolescents switch from internal sensations to sensations of soreness on the skin and they feel a little better. That is, this behavior is not foolishness, and not a whim, and not overstuffs. Thank you so much for the article! I knew a mother who at first got scared when she saw the cuts on her daughter's arms.
When talking, focus on the feelings that are causing the person to cut themselves, rather than the actions themselves. If the ice has already broken and you are talking about this topic more or less openly, try to find out more specifically what makes a person cut himself. What are these feelings and what is their reason? In general, in such a situation it is worth thinking about getting a cat or dog, if, of course, there is a desire. Sometimes cuts on the hands are a kind of "growing pain" that goes away on its own. Therefore, you should not immediately panic. And not right away either. Talk, love, observe and be patient.
In principle, and I do not believe that this is serious, well, I scratched the skin on my hand. And suddenly not. Recently I left for studies, caught on deception that something was going on. Or my friends told me that cutting with a blade didn't hurt at all, so I cut myself on my arm, but it didn't hurt at all. Spend a little more time with her, tell her something about yourself when you were young, buy her something nice for the soul. And, most likely, she fell in love with you ...
Psychological characteristics of adolescents and why cuts appear
Very often, one of the forms of self-expression is deliberate damage to the body, namely, cuts with blades. On the hands of many adolescents, shallow cuts appear especially often due to the accessibility of the limb. Many of them claim that along with the bleeding out of them all negativity and gloomy thoughts came out. Cuts on the hands with a blade in adolescents do not always indicate a desire to commit suicide.
I belong to the small-numbered type of "mother-ness". A child is learning, and okay. There is already a gold medal in the house, hanging and gathering dust in a conspicuous place. You still can't put your brain into the heads of your daughters, so you have to make do with factory equipment. With its help it is very easy to fold (like packed in a store): shirts, T-shirts, T-shirts, nightgowns. Who gives up everything and go, even if you don't feel like it at all? Those who have a headache can also write.
One option is to use bandages all the time. By bandaging your hand, you can always lie about the true reasons for the bandage, because bandages are also used for bruises. In order to disguise, cover up scars at a conscious age, people often use tattoos, beat massive pictures.
The duration of the healing of this injury on the hands
There are many reasons why a teenager might have academic failure. Often difficult teens leave scars on their hands, what is the reason for this behavior? Autoaggression in adolescents is often associated with drawing attention to oneself. If a teenager is not accepted among peers, then pain and resentment can cause auto-aggression. It happens that a teenager begins to fear responsibility and tries to get away from unnecessary stress and anxiety, most often this is manifested either by withdrawal into himself, or by seeking support in the company.
Possible treatments
No. People who cut or burn themselves don't try to die. Psychological: Among women who inflict cuts and burns on themselves, there are many who were abused and experienced trauma in childhood, often sexual. I've never heard of self-harm in animals, but I'm certainly not an expert. People cut themselves when they feel they are trapped in a "cage" (in quotation marks) - isolation, because experiences interfere with communication with other people. The child cut his hands repeatedly because she considered herself “dirty”, unworthy to be in “that body”. I would like to change the skin. I was in the clinic. There was a girl who, at the age of 17, admitted to her parents that she loved her friend from school. Parents (especially mom) made a terrible scandal with massacre.
Light cuts, with a minimal amount of blood, do not need any special treatment other than the usual antibacterial treatment. To quickly heal a deep cut, you can use special ointments. If the cuts are deep enough, medical attention may be required to stitch them up.
I developed complexes, I often thought about the opinions of others, I became a social phobia. Cuts on your hands are not a sign of some kind of mental illness! We teenagers in the 21st century have come up with a way to get rid of mental pain. Parasuicide is like a drug. Not only about the desire to cut speech. I want to hurt myself from my own guilt. It's like the law of conservation of energy, the overflow of mental pain into physical pain.
These are not accidental cuts - you can see that they were made on purpose. Hand cuts are not always intentional.
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