How To Heal Deep Wounds Faster After Surgery
If you have a deep wound, the first thing you probably want to know is how to heal deep wounds faster. After all, a deep wound can be painful and debilitating! Luckily, there are some tested ways to help you get back on your feet more quickly.
But if you want to learn how to heal deep wounds faster, you first need to know what constitutes a deep wound. A deep wound is a type of injury that extends through the dermis, or middle layer of skin, into the subcutaneous tissue, which is the layer of fat and connective tissue beneath the skin.
Most superficial wounds heal within a few days to weeks without any complications. However, deep wounds can take much longer to heal properly and are at risk for developing infections. Infections in deep wounds can lead to serious health problems, so you need to take care of them properly.
In this article, we will explore everything you should know about deep wounds, from what causes them, how long they usually take to heal, and how to heal deep wounds faster.
What causes deep wounds?
There are many types of injuries that can cause deep wounds.
Falls are a leading cause of deep wounds in both children and adults. Falls can occur when someone slips on a wet surface or trips over an object. Sharp objects, such as knives and glass shards, can also cause deep wounds.
Another culprit in deep wounds is car accidents. Car accidents often result in deep cuts from broken glass or metal. How deep the wound depends on a number of factors, including which object caused the wound, and how much force the object was traveling at. Typically, cars traveling at higher speeds cause deeper wounds.
Of course, not all deep wounds are caused by accident or injury. Surgery is another common cause of deep wounds. During surgery, incisions are made through the skin and subcutaneous tissue to access the underlying organs. These incisions can range from small to large, depending on the type of surgery being performed.
You may be wondering: “How long does it take for surgery incisions to heal?”
Most surgical incisions heal within two to four weeks. However, it is important to keep the area clean and dry to prevent infection.
So do all deep wounds heal in two to four weeks? Let’s take a look at the expected healing time for deep wounds.
Expected healing time for deep wounds
The expected healing time for deep wounds varies depending on a number of factors, but you can expect deeper wounds to take longer to heal than superficial ones.
For example, a small cut that only goes through the dermis may heal within a few days to weeks. A deep cut that extends into the subcutaneous tissue may take several weeks or months to heal completely.
The healing time also depends on how well the wound is cared for. Proper wound care includes keeping the wound clean and dry, changing the dressing regularly, and avoiding activities that could reopen the wound.
Deep wounds can be difficult to heal properly, but it is important to take care of them to reduce the risk of infection. With proper care, most deep wounds will heal within a few weeks to months.
To understand how to heal deep wounds faster, it’s time to take a look at the four stages of a healing wound. This way, you can look out for signs of a healing wound to know if your healing is on track.
The four stages of healing
The healing process of a deep wound can be divided into four distinct stages: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.
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Hemostasis: The first stage of wound healing is all about stopping the bleeding. Your body does this by forming clots. This stage begins immediately after injury and can last for up to several hours.
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Inflammation: The second stage of wound healing is characterized by redness and swelling. The wound site becomes inflamed so that debris and harmful microbes can be flushed out. This stage begins a few hours after injury and can last for several days.
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Proliferation: During the third stage of wound healing, cell growth and tissue repair occur. Your body swiftly lays down collagen fibrils to fill in the wound site. This stage begins within a few days after injury and can last for several weeks.
- Remodeling. The final stage of wound healing is where your body remodels the wound site to make it stronger and smoother. It does so by re-laying collagen in a more organized fashion. This stage starts within a few weeks after injury and can last for several months.
What can slow down the wound healing process?
Before we get into how to heal deep wounds faster, let’s first take a look at what can actually slow down wound healing. After all, it’s no good knowing all the specifics of speeding up surgical wound healing from inside out if you are constantly making it worse!
If you have a deep wound, there are several things that can slow down the deep wound healing process. Poor nutrition, poor circulation, infection, diabetes, excessive swelling, and repeated trauma can all impede the healing of your wound.
An unhealthy diet
To heal deep wounds faster, you need to start with good nutrition. Eating a healthy diet with plenty of protein, vitamins, and minerals will help your body to heal itself more quickly.
Conversely, if you aren’t getting enough nutrients or are dehydrated, it can slow the healing process down.
Poor circulation
Knowing how to heal deep wounds faster means knowing about circulation. Poor circulation will impede deep wound healing, since nutrients and blood cells won’t be able to reach the wound site as easily.
Exercise helps to increase circulation, so try to get some moderate exercise every day.
Improper cleaning
One of the most important steps in knowing how to heal deep wounds faster is keeping your wound clean and free from bacteria. If you don’t keep your wound clean, it can become infected, which can bring your healing to a halt.
If any signs of infection (such as redness, heat, swelling, or pus) appear or persist after the first five days, be sure to call your doctor right away.
High blood sugar
Diabetes can also delay the healing of deep wounds. If you have diabetes, knowing how to heal deep wounds faster means keeping your blood sugar levels under control.
Diabetes wound healing is significantly impeded if blood sugar levels are not at healthy levels, so be sure to monitor your blood sugar levels closely.
Trauma
Finally, repeated trauma to a deep wound can also delay healing. To prevent this, be sure to protect your wound from further injury. Knowing how to heal deep wounds faster involves keeping them clean and dry, and avoiding activities that could cause additional trauma to the area.
So now that you know what can slow your wound healing down, what can speed your healing up? Let’s look at how to heal deep wounds faster.
How to heal deep wounds faster after surgery
Deep wounds can take a long time to heal. The depth of the wound, the type of surgery, and your overall health all play a role in how quickly you'll heal. But there are things you can do to speed up the healing process.
Here are some of the best ways you can aid wound healing:
Get rest
Getting plenty of rest is an important part of how to heal deep wounds faster. Your body needs time to recover from surgery and rest is crucial for that. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep each night and take naps during the day if needed.
Quit smoking
Another tip for how to heal deep wounds faster is to quit smoking. Smoking decreases blood flow and slows down the healing process. If you smoke, now is the time to quit. Not only will it help you heal faster, but it's also good for your overall health.
Use antibacterial ointment
An antibacterial ointment may help speed up deep wound healing. Ointments can help prevent infection and keep the wound moist, which promotes healing. Be sure to follow the directions on the package and only use the ointment for as long as directed.
Apply aloe vera
Aloe vera is a plant that has been used for centuries to treat wounds and may be a good way for how to heal deep wounds faster at home. That’s because aloe vera has natural antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can speed up healing.
You can buy aloe vera gel at most drugstores or online, or even find full aloe vera plants in your grocery store. You can apply it to your wound as needed.
Make a turmeric paste
Turmeric is a spice that has been used medicinally for centuries and may be another answer for how to heal deep wounds faster. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is thought to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
You can make a turmeric paste by mixing 1 teaspoon of turmeric with 1 tablespoon of water. Apply it to the wound and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it off.
Use coconut oil
Coconut oil is another home remedy that's been used to treat wounds for centuries, as it's thought to have antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Simply apply coconut oil to the wound 2-3 times per day. You can purchase coconut oil online or at most health food stores.
Cover your wound
You may have wondered: Do wounds heal faster covered or uncovered? And the answer is - COVERED.
One of the most important aspects of wound healing is keeping the wound clean and free from infection. Infections can delay healing, and in some cases, lead to serious complications. Covering a wound helps to keep it clean and protected from bacteria.
Wound healing does not need air to heal, as you already have oxygen in your blood. In fact, keeping your wound open to the air not only increases the chance of infection, it can also dry your wound out - and dry wounds take longer to heal.
Change wound dressings
One of the first things a doctor will tell you when you ask him how to heal deep wounds faster is to change your wound dressings. If you have a deep wound, it's important to change your dressings regularly. Doing so will keep the wound clean and moist.
Your doctor will likely give you specific instructions on how often to change your wound dressings, so be sure to follow those instructions carefully.
Take vitamins and supplements
There are some vitamins and supplements that may help speed up surgical wound healing from inside out. These include zinc, vitamin C, and collagen.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral for human health. It is involved in many biochemical processes, including cell growth and repair, immune function, and wound healing. Zinc also has antimicrobial properties and can help to protect against infection.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important nutrient for wound healing. It helps the body to make collagen, a protein that is essential for tissue repair. Vitamin C also helps to reduce inflammation and promote tissue regeneration. A lack of vitamin C can delay healing and increase the risk of infection.
While eating fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C can be beneficial, vitamin C consumption to speed wound healing should be in multiple gram doses. As it is almost impossible to consume this much vitamin C just from food sources, supplementing is your best option.
Collagen
The role that collagen plays in wound healing cannot be overstated. When a wound occurs, collagen fibers are essential for rebuilding the damaged tissue.
Collagen wound healing is so effective because collagen supplements promote the production of new skin cells. This speeds up healing, reduces inflammation, and makes the wound much less noticeable.
Don’t take our word for it, though. Countless studies show that collagen plays a critical role in open wound treatment. Studies also show that collagen not only speeds up surgical wound healing from inside out, but also decreases the time that patients stay in hospital.
As we said above, collagen is crucial in the third and fourth stages of wound healing. And, because your natural collagen production slows down as you age, you might not have enough stores of it in your body to heal quickly without a supplement.
Collagen for deep wound healing
After reading this, we are sure you will understand that the answer to “how to heal deep wounds faster” is a holistic one. There are plenty of things you can do AND plenty of things you need to avoid to make sure your deep wound heals as quickly as possible.
Right at the top of this list, though, is taking high-quality collagen. In particular, a medical-grade collagen supplement. Medical-grade collagen, like the supplements from ProT Gold, is FDA regulated and trusted to aid wound healing by thousands of medical facilities across the country.
If you are looking for a simple, proven, and effective way to speed up the healing of your deep wound, medical-grade collagen may be the very best choice.
