What do you do when you cut yourself?

Cutting yourself is one of those things that happen without warning. Of course, some people do it intentionally using sharp objects like knives or shavers. But in most cases, it happens accidentally while doing something else entirely.

So what should you do when this kind of accident occurs?

Assess the Severity of the Cut

Cuts can vary from minor to severe and require different kinds of attention.

Minor Cuts

These are cuts that only affect the skin’s uppermost layer and bleed for a short time before stopping on their own.

Moderate Cuts

Moderate cuts penetrate deeper into the skin but don’t cut any tendons or muscles. They tend to bleed significantly longer than minor cuts.

Severe Cuts

A severe cut comes with lots of blood loss and sometimes damage to other structures such as tissues, nerves, tendons, or even bones themselves!

Stop Bleeding Right Away

Stopping bleeding is an essential step after assessing your wound’s severity. Follow these steps:

1) Pressure: If possible,apply direct pressure over your wound using clean cloth[!] until bleeding stops.

2)Elevate: Raise injured area above chest height reduces blood flow allowing more time for clot formation .

3)Tourniquets & Hemostatic Dressings: Reserve these techniques for worst case scenarios since they may cause long-term tissue injury/damage.

Clean The Wound

It would be best if you cleaned your cut right after stopping the bleeding process:

  • Use warm water to wash away any dirt/debris/particles from around & within(!)the wound
  • Be sure rinse thoroughly(!)
  • Avoid scrubbing or rubbing (!) because this could re-open fresh injuries underneath dead skin cells.

Apply Some Ointment/ Creams_/_Salve (Optional)

Depending on how deep your wounds go(i.e., moderate to severe,minor cuts respectively), consider some of the following before applying any cream/lotion:

  • Antibiotics: If your cut is deep and open you should apply antibiotic ointment after washing away dirt debris but this is not recommended for minor injuries
  • Crushed Aloe Vera Leaves: You can also use non-medical options such as aloe vera leaves crushed together then applied directly after washing the wound. (!!!)

Dressing The Wound

After cleaning your cut with antiseptics (explained above), choose an appropriate dressing style/size:

1)Sterile Gauze Pad : place it on top!(!) of the injury that’s been cleaned and dried off
2)Tape or Wrap: Once secured onto wound be sure to wrap & secure completely within first aid tape(!!!)

3)Choosing The Right Size For Each Bandage:! Be sure it covers blemish –for small cuts band-aids are preferred over larger ones simply because they better fit–

Lastly, always remember that emergencies can happen at any time, all in a split second– which why being prepared saves lives _We hope that this guide helps you prepare yourself better for cutting incidents.

Take care out there!

!–End-of-Markdown–

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