When to Stop Covering An Open Wound
One of the first things you know to do when you get hurt is put a bandage over the wound. What comes less naturally is when to stop covering an open wound.
Should you wait until your wound is completely healed? Does your wound need to “air out”? And does it matter what types of bandages and ointments you put on your wound?
Learning how to treat open wounds is an important skill, but it’s usually one we don’t have until we need it most. Caring for a wound isn’t difficult, and your body is very good at healing itself!
All you need to learn is how to best support the natural healing processes your body has in place, so let’s get started.
When to stop covering an open wound
Typically, you can stop covering an open wound 4 - 7 days after the injury. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for when to stop covering an open wound, though, for a few reasons. First, everyone’s body heals at a different pace.
Factors like age, health conditions, and diet can all play a role in how quickly your body heals. Since your body will heal at a different pace, your wound care needs will be slightly different.
The type of wound can also make a difference in when to stop covering an open wound. No matter how old you are, a paper cut will heal much more quickly than a surgical incision. So how do you know it’s time to take off the bandage?
You’ll want to keep an eye on indicators besides the date of injury alone. Having a basic understanding of the phases of wound healing can help tremendously in caring for an open wound.
Phases of wound healing
There are 4 phases of wound healing. Your body will spend some time in each of them during the wound recovery process. How much time it spends in each phase will depend on the type of injury and your unique medical history, but each phase has a general timeline you can work with. Deciding when to stop covering an open wound is best guided by watching the signs of healing as you move through these phases, instead of a specific number of days.
Hemostasis
During this phase, your body is trying to stop the bleeding and make sure as little germs and dirt get into your body as possible. Your body starts sending platelets and white blood cells to the site of the wound to form a scab and kill off any germs that were on your skin at the time it was broken. Hemostasis can last for up to a day, while your body is responding to the injury.
You can support your body’s healing during the hemostasis phase by cleaning the site of the wound. This is also when you’d put a bandage on the wound. We’ll need to get into the later stages to know when to stop covering an open wound!
Inflammation
Next is the inflammation phase. During this phase, your body starts an internal cleaning process to remove any germs and dead cells from the site of the wound. Externally, this looks like redness, swelling, clear fluid leaking from the wound, and tenderness. Inflammation can last up to two weeks after the initial injury.
As far as when to stop covering an open wound, the inflammation phase is the worst time possible to do this. You can support your body during this phase by keeping the wound clean and protected.
Proliferative
After that, you’ll enter the proliferative phase. During this phase, your body starts to rebuild the tissue that was damaged. This phase can last up to three weeks but tends to be longer the older you get.
This phase will probably have you wondering when to stop covering an open wound. You’ll notice new, tender skin forming around the site of the wound. This skin is usually red or pink and is ready to be uncovered. Keeping it well-hydrated and exposed to oxygen will help the healing process along.
Remodeling
Finally, there’s the remodeling phase. This is the phase where your body is turning the tender, new skin into stronger scar tissue. The remodeling phase can last up to a year and still be considered in the “normal” timeframe.
The ideal timeframe for when to stop covering an open wound has come and gone by the time you reach the remodeling phase. In this phase, you may not even notice the site of the wound anymore.
How to tell if a wound is healing properly
The phases of wound healing can overlap. Even though each phase of wound healing can last for days or weeks, the normal timeframe for a wound to be healed through the proliferative phase is about 4 - 6 weeks.
The ideal time for when to stop covering an open wound would be around the end of the first week. At this time, the wound should be starting to move out of the inflammation phase.
Your pain, redness, and other symptoms should keep getting better for that entire month or so that we’d expect a wound to heal during. A wound that’s healing properly should be visibly improving, and shouldn’t start hurting more after the first few days.
You might have heard that you need to “air out” a wound, or that wounds need oxygen to heal. So do wounds heal faster covered or uncovered? Wounds can heal properly when they’re covered during the hemostasis and inflammation phases.
Keeping your wound covered during this time prevents germs and dirt from getting into the wound, and can protect the scab from getting pulled off. Once you’ve reached the proliferative phase, oxygen is more important, so look for new skin to know when to stop covering an open wound.
When to seek professional help for a wound
You should seek care from a doctor or other medical professional immediately if you have any of these symptoms related to your wound:
- Fever or chills
- Bleeding that will not stop
- Pus leaking from the wound
- Severe pain or redness around the site of the wound
- A bad smell coming from your wound
You should also contact your healthcare team about:
- Deep wounds, especially puncture wounds
- Wounds where you can see fat, muscle, or bone
- Wounds caused by an animal
- Wounds involving glass, wood, or other material that may have left pieces in the wound
These kinds of wounds can require special care initially, and it’s important to follow any special instructions your medical team gives. General advice, like when to stop covering an open wound and how to dress open wounds typically still applies to them.
How to dress open wounds
Dressing is a central part of open wound treatment. You’ll want to find the best dressing for open wounds based on the wounds you’re caring for. Even with a very basic dressing, though, you’ll need to know how to clean and dress your wound. Watch for signs of healing to know when to stop covering an open wound, and follow these steps until then.
The first step in how to treat open wounds is cleaning. If you’re caring for a wound that just occurred, apply light pressure to the site of the wound using gauze, a paper towel, or a tea towel to stop the bleeding.
Once the wound is not bleeding, rinse with tepid water and use a little mild soap to clean the wound. You can apply some antibiotic ointment at this stage, but it’s not necessary. You shouldn’t use hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol to “clean” a wound. These things can damage your already sensitive tissue, and they aren’t more effective than soap and water.
After washing, gently pat the wound dry using a separate, clean paper towel or tea towel. Then, place your dressing or bandage on the wound. Much like when to stop covering an open wound, the type of dressing you use will depend on the wound you’re caring for.
How to find the best dressing for open wounds
There are several different types of wound dressing. The best dressing for open wounds isn’t always the same because there are different types of wounds! Just like when to stop covering an open wound, you’ll need to make your decision based on your specific wound and how it’s healing.
If you have any questions about the type of wound dressing that’s best for you, reach out to your healthcare professional. They’ll be able to give you the most accurate advice on how to treat open wounds that may be causing you concern. A healthcare professional will also explain when to stop covering an open wound that needs special care or that won’t heal.
Types of wound dressings
Gauze is often the best dressing for open wounds that don’t have any complications, such as minor cuts and scrapes. You might also cover the wound using a bandage, which holds the dressing you choose in place.
Band-Aids come with the dressing and bandage already stuck together, and some other types of wound dressings have similar adhesive backings. Others don’t, so you’ll need to use flexible bandages, mesh bandages, or medical tape to hold the gauze in place instead.
Not all wounds can be cared for with a small adhesive bandage or simple gauze, though. In some cases, you may need a special dressing. These can be especially helpful in how to treat open wounds that won’t heal. You might also choose a more modern wound dressing if you’re at risk for infected or slow-healing wounds, or if you’re recovering from surgery.
Modern wound dressings contain materials that make them extra-absorbant, are clear so you can monitor how the wound is healing, and/or contain material that helps to speed healing. They don’t impact when to stop covering an open wound but can help with your healing process. One of the most promising wound dressing materials that helps to speed healing is collagen.
Collagen wound dressings
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body, and it plays a huge role in your body’s natural wound-healing processes. Collagen wound healing dressings have been shown to speed healing in many cases where the body needs extra support.
Not everyone will need collagen wound dressings. Most of the time, people wondering when to stop covering an open wound aren’t dealing with anything severe or chronic. The great news? You can still access collagen’s healing benefits without a dressing.
Your body naturally uses collagen to build and repair tissue, and you can help by giving it the materials it needs. Consuming a collagen supplement gives your body all the materials it needs to heal from the inside, while you focus on how to treat open wounds from the outside.
When you’re picking a collagen supplement, look for a medical-grade supplement. These supplements have been held to the highest possible standards by the FDA. They’re also used by doctors and dieticians to treat patients in healthcare settings – sometimes in wound care just like yours.
Helping an open wound heal
There are several different things you can do to help an open wound heal. Knowing when to stop covering an open wound is just one of them.
You can do more to support your body’s healing, from finding the best dressing for open wounds to eating well and getting plenty of rest. The basics of how to treat open wounds are simple, but you can – and should – reach out to a doctor if you have any concerns.
Generally speaking, though, keeping your wound clean and covered is all you need to do! Follow your body’s signals to know when to stop covering an open wound. Remember, you’re looking for new, pinkish skin at the site of the wound. Make sure to keep this skin well hydrated and moisturized so it doesn’t get damaged.
Other than that, let your body do what it does best. Healing is one of the body’s most mysterious processes, but it’s happening almost constantly. Your body is using the food and time you spend resting to heal those damaged tissues.
That’s why taking a medical-grade collagen protein supplement regularly is one of the best things you can do to speed healing. Collagen protein has everything your body is already using for wound healing, making it the perfect way to help the process along.
