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introduction and phases
of wound healing
personal factors that
affect wound healing - nutrition, fluids, smoking
personal factors that
affect wound healing - diabetes, movement, steroids,
alcohol, stress, sun exposure, other factors
surgical and post operative factors that affect wound
healing
healing supplements
- arnica
healing supplements
- bromelain, vitamin K cream
scar formation and treatment
hyperbaric oxygen therapy
Surgical FactorsThat Affect Wound Healing
It is up to your doctor to make sure that there is as
little tension on the wound as possible. He or she will
do this by placing sutures deep beneath the surface
of the skin. These deep stitches will hold the wound
together and take the strain off of the skin edges.
When a wound is closed properly, the skin edges should
be "kissing" (touching) even before the final
stitches are placed. Increased tension can cause the
wound to pull apart or stimulate your body to create
more scar tissue to hold it together.
When possible, the incision should also be placed along
the lines of skin tension. This will usually mean that
the scar will fall within a crease of the skin. If the
incisions cross the creases, then the scar will be greater
because the tension or pull on the incision is greater.
Healing times for chemical peels and laser resurfacing
depend greatly on the depth of the treatment. Deeper
treatments require more time to heal, and if it goes
too deep, scarring can result regardless of post-op
care.
Post-Op Care
After surgery, your doctor will give you instructions
on how to care for your wound. Limiting physical activity
is very important to minimize swelling and promote healing
since exertion increases blood pressure, and any time
the blood pressure increases in a surgical area such
as with exercise or by bending forward, swelling and
bleeding can result.
Compression garments are well known to speed healing
by limiting bruising and pushing excess fluid out of
the area. Special dressings, especially masks used after
laser resurfacing or foam that can be applied after
many different procedures, also can reduce swelling
and decrease healing times.
To Next Section - Healing
Supplements, including Arnica
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