Cuts and grazes – Cut yourself or suffered from a graze? Attend to it properly so that your skin can recover quickly.

Remember to wash your hands carefully before treating a wound. Any break in the skin can be susceptible to bacteria penetrating.

Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a clean cotton cloth with Elastoplast Wound Spray or rinse with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing.
Do not remove embedded objects, leave that to medical staff. Usually it is recommended to disinfect the graze or abrasion.

In any case, cover the cut or abrasion with a plaster. A plaster will protect the injured area from friction, bacteria, contamination and will absorb wound fluid and create conditions in which the wound can heal undisturbed. 

Tip: Special Elastoplast plasters such as Elastic Antibacterial Fabric Plaster already contain antibacterial silver in its woundpad which will reduce the risk of infection.

1. Make sure, you wash your hands before applying plasters or dressings or wear disposable surgical gloves – this will lower the risk of infection.

2. A minor wound will soon stop bleeding.
If it does not, apply a little pressure to the spot with a non-stick pad until it stops.

3. If the bleeding continues, apply more gauze pads and keep
pressure on the wound and seek medical advice.

4. Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a clean cotton cloth sprayed with Elastoplast Wound Spray or rinse with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing. Do not remove embedded objects, leave that to medical staff. If there is anything embedded in the skin, do not try to remove it. This should be left to a professional.

5. Disinfect, then cover the injured area with an appropriate dressing such as a wound pad, compress or an adhesive bandage.

6. Keep all cuts clean and change dressing regularly.

No. It is a wound care myth that keeping minor cuts and grazes uncovered helps them to heal faster. The opposite is true. Research shows that covered wounds heal more efficiently and have a reduced risk of infection. Elastoplast products provide safe protection until the wound is completely healed. (Also see: Moist wound healing.)

We recommend to contact a medical professional in the following circumstances:

• if the wound is deep and causes major bleeding
• if the wound shows signs of infection such as redness, warmth, pain and swelling
• if there are embedded foreign objects
• in case of an animal or human bite or in case of contact with animal blood
• if the wound is in the area of the face
• if there is insufficient tetanus vaccination

and of course any time you have questions or are uncertain

Usually, wound dressings and plasters should be changed daily for hygienic reasons. If you use an advanced plaster such as Elastoplast Heavy Fabric Plasters that provides moist wound healing conditions, it is recommended to leave it in place for up to two days or more in order to not interrupt the healing process.

Contact a medical professional as soon as you recognise signs of infection. Symptoms include not only the occurrence of pus but also symptoms such as swelling, redness, heat, pain, itching or burning. In the case of infection, the wound will need medical care and special medical treatment.

1. The waterproof specialists
The Elastoplast Aqua Protect Plasters as well as the Heavy Fabric Plasters and the Water Resistant Plasters are waterproof and will not come off while washing or showering. All Elastoplast Heavy Fabric Plasters as well as the Family Pack Plasters are also water resistant.

2. The elastic specialists
Check out the Elastoplast Fabric Plasters products: These plasters are made from specially flexible, breathable material, making them especially suitable for joints and moveable body parts; even for larger wounds on knees as they come in various sizes.

3. The antiseptic specialist
Looking to protect your wound from dirt as well as infection? Then try plasters which come with antiseptic ointments or an antiseptic such as Silver technology (i.e. Elastoplast Anti Bacterial Plaster) which are designed to help avoiding infections even more effectively. Additional cleansing and disinfection before applying the plaster is recommended.

4. The finger specialist
Elastoplast Clear Plasters – they are invisible, breathable and long so that they stick perfectly on fingers. 

5.The sensitive specialists
For extra skin protection, we recommend to use Elastoplast Anti Bacterial products. These plasters are very skin friendly and hypoallergenic.

1. When using sharp tools, be especially careful and if necessary, wear protective gear.

2. In the kitchen, cut away from yourself and remember that sharp knives are actually less dangerous than blunt ones as they will pass through the object smoother.

3. Pass scissors with the sharp ends pointing away from the person you are giving them to.

 4. It is not possible to avoid all cuts and grazes, so make sure to have a well-stocked first aid kit at home.