I just had stitches removed from a total knee replacement. One friend is urging me to keep using alcohol wipes on the dried blood to remove it while others are saying just use vitimen E because the alcohol will dry out the skin. Any suggestions?
2007-10-03 15:51:07 · 7 answers · asked by mschrissy0 3 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ First Aid
rubbing alcohol will kill not only the bacteria and clean it, it will also kill the newly forming cells- and dry your skin out too. that's also the rule that you don't clean a new piercing w / it or put neosporin on it because it will "trap" infection in a piercing. i think in this particlular situation you should follow dischage order to the letter- if it isn't spelled out- your BEST ANSWER is only a phone call away. if you are cleaning in the wound i wouldn't do that- but just around it- not where it's red, but healthy skin, it would probably be ok..... the red, inflammed skin might get damaged and you definitly don't want to guess about what to do about the wound itself- that's a REAL serious risk to jerk around w that! is your wound coverd by bandages? or open- i bet it's got bandages- and your just cleaning up leakage- that's probably ok then- your not cleaning out "newly formed cells" and stuff...the vitamin e is probably good for your skin anyways- just stay away from the darn wound!
2007-10-03 16:03:56 · answer #1 · answered by aliaysleighbasic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Alcohol wipes are disinfectant used to sterilise things, like your skin before an injection.
Leave the dry blood there. It's a good barrier against bacteria, fungi and virus from entering your body and causing an infection. The dried blood will auto fall off when it had healed.
2007-10-03 18:08:49 · answer #2 · answered by loser 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lightly washing the area with mild soap and water should work. If it doesn't, using a few alcohol wipes wouldn't dry out the skin too much.
2007-10-03 15:56:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Warm water and regular soap. Alcohol defats the skin and will dry it out too much. After washing just pat the area dry with a Turkish towel.
2007-10-03 16:00:56 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Whatever you do don't use alcohol unless you want to scream soprano, if you want to removed the dried blood used peroxide that is much safer and painless. Also coco butter works for to reduced scaring it has to be 100% coco butter.
2007-10-03 16:17:36 · answer #5 · answered by duckie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
alcohol will indeed dry out the skin, and won't prevent infection. Just wash the site with regular soap and water and keep it dry thereafter.
2007-10-03 15:56:05 · answer #6 · answered by essentiallysolo 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
just use alittle soap and water and after 3 days you should be fine to bathe.......................
2007-10-04 08:23:26 · answer #7 · answered by whateverbabe 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋