Got a big patch of road rash on the hip. All cleaned out and have been putting antiseptic healing gel (Savlon stuff) on the fresh dressings the past few days. It's still oozing quite a bit.
What's the current thinking re healing. Carry on with gel and dressing or just dressing and let it dry out a bit? I'd get a hydrocollid dressing but I can't find one big enough.
Manuka Honey
Tegaderm is like voodoo for road rash, expensive though.
Tegaderm
That's what I meant by Hydrocollid dressing, not been able to find a big enough one locally though or anywhere that'll do speedy delivery given the time of year.
Manuka Honey
Had some on my porridge this morning. Doesn't seem to have helped much.
Boots to the largest Hydrocollid dressings on the high street I cut two up to make one big one. Could do more to make larger. Skin is all back after 10 days.
Hmm I do have a couple of the boots kits, I'll see if I can knock up a big enough patchwork. Need to stock up the first aid kit, been so long since my last off on the road bike I was beginning to think my mountain biker skills made me immune to falling 🙂
How big do you need? I have some 10x12cm jobs here, if you can collect from Edinburgh... Or I could post but it'll probably be after the weekend before you get it so you're probably past the point where colloid is best
Your GP should help you out with a bigger dressing if you need one. Saw the nurse on a walk-in appointment and she gave me a box of replacements after peeling the gauze off that was embedded in my flesh.
A proper Hydrocollid dressing should stay on for a week or so, unlike other dressings that need to be changed after getting wet
Thanks Northwind, I'd need about double that size though and it'd be about a 16hr round trip to collect 🙂
Amazon stock them, can get next day delivery if you have Prime...
Although they only have a couple of sizes that are eligible, looking for Tegaderm specifically.
Other options - minor injuries might sell one, or a doctors surgery. Pharmacies don't stock them much as the surgeries/district nurses get them direct. They should be able to order but will probably take a day to come in (according to the pharmacist sitting next to me at the moment).
Job done with 3 of the 10x7 Boots Hydrocollid ones joined together, and a big Tegaderm one on the way from Amazon for when it needs replacing. Thanks all.
Any Pro road or crit racer will tell you to smear road rash in Vaseline regularly, it never scabs over but heals very quickly without leaving a scar.
At one point when I was racing crits 4 times a week I had every corner missing.
do NOT let it dry unless you want scars.
I couldn't find hydrocolloid patches big enough (basically my entire forearm) so ended up slathering it in E45 or Aloe Vera gel and then dressing it with low-adhesion-gauze dressings. Didn't scab, but the underlying fresh red tissue healed up and the top layer that was effectively burnt eventually went down the drain.
Splendid, thanks, shall stick with a patchwork of hydrocolloids 🙂
Ice?
lemon?
Tegaderm. Buy before you need them. Leave n for four or five days. Work. Otherwise Savlon gel and a dressing. Needs to be kept moist to grow skin quickly.
Hydrocolloid patches are awesome and the reason I don't have a massive scar on my face.
Winner.
Came off my bike when I was a wean - liberal smears of Vaseline on my face means I'm as beautiful now as I was before the crash
No scars or owt. It works wonders
Go to pharmacist, explain you're sore 'down below' as you're a cyclist and ask for Hydrocortisone cream....works a treat on me.
We use Manuka Honey in work on severe pressure sores, some so big that you could get your fist in.
🙂
Great stuff.
Not tried eating it though.
Manuka honey is lovely actually!
Needs to be kept moist to grow skin quickly.
That does seem to be the advice now. Surprising how many seem to still think the best approach is to let it dry out.
Otherwise Savlon gel and a dressing.
Had 4 days of applying dressings smeared with antiseptic gel to weeping road rash 😯 Very glad to have the hydrocollid on there now.
Nurse told me to use Vaseline for my road rash. You just want to clean it and then keep it moist & let your body do it's thing, I don't think there's any advantage really using "healing" gels or hydrocolloid (except for convenience) for minor injuries like this if you're otherwise healthy. Letting it dry/scab is a sure fire way to get scars.
I had some stuff called solugel or solusite when I used my face as a brake. No scarring and it healed quickly (faces do though). Unfortunately I'm still as ugly as ever though.