What is a cut?
A cut is an opening in the skin that is usually made by something sharp. A cut can have jagged or smooth edges. When a cut happens, they hurt and may start to bleed. If the cut is taken care of, it will stop hurting, stop bleeding, and will heal so the skin becomes normal again.
What causes cuts?
Things that have sharp edges can cause cuts if you do not handle it right. These objects include knives, scissors, sharp metal parts, and broken glass. You should not touch anything sharp unless one of your parents are with you.
How do cuts heal?
Your body has a special way of helping you heal the cut. When you cut yourself, blood may come out. Don’t let the blood scare you because this is normal. In your blood there are a whole bunch of good cells that will help your cut to heal and stop the bleeding. Once your cut stops bleeding there will be a new skin over your cut that will help your cut to heal faster. It is important for you to remember to not pick at the new skin. If you pick at it, it will slow down the healing process and cause the cut to start bleeding again.
What should I do to help the cut heal?
There are a few things you should do or have your parents help you to heal the cut.
1. Squeeze the cut with a clean cloth or fingers until the bleeding stops.
2. Wash the cut with water and mild soap.
3. Dry the cut with a clean towel.
4. Cover the cut with a band-aid.
You can put some antibiotic cream or ointment on the cut, but you do not have to. Be sure to tell an adult or your parents that you cut yourself and have them help you!!
Why a cut gets red and sore?
Once the cut stops bleeding, the skin around the cut becomes red. This process is called inflammation or a red and hot feeling. The red color on the skin comes from the extra blood flow, which carries the rescue cells to the cut. The hot feeling is also from the extra blood flowing to the cut. A larger cut will be redder and hotter.
Also, you may feel some pain along with the red skin. When your cut hurts, it is your body’s way of telling you to be careful and let the cut heal. The pain that you feel are cause by things called chemicals that are released from your body. These chemicals then move to a special place called the nerve cells in your body to cause the pain that you feel.
What causes a scar?
Depending on the types of cuts, you may get a scar. This happens when your cut is deep and your skin cannot come together to heal. Scars are made up of a special type of tough skin called collagen that will help your cut heal. You may not see this tough skin in smaller cuts because not much of it is needed to heal the cut. However, you will definitely see the tough skin around larger cuts.
How a cut gets infected?
Most cuts heal in about a week or sometimes sooner. If the redness and pain do not go away after a week, then the cut may be infected. This is because there are more bacteria and dirt in the cut than the good cells can get rid of. You may not know it, but your body will keep on sending more and more of these good cells called white blood cells to kill off the bacteria. Your cut may still be red and inflamed until all the bacteria are gone. That is why it is very important for you to wash dirty cuts and scrapes with running water and mild soap once you get it. Also, remember to not pick the scab, and change the band-aid often.
When to see a doctor?
You should see the doctor or have your parents take you to one if you have any of the following:
1) the edges of the cut don’t come together
2) you can’t stop the bleeding
3) you can’t wash out all the dirt in the cut
4) the cut is made by an animal bite
5) the cut is a small deep hole made by a sharp object like a nail
6) the cut become infected: very red, swollen and painful
7) you see red lines or streaks leading from cut
8) you get a fever along with the cut
9) the cut that does not look better in two or three days.
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