Every mom and grandmother has the best advice, right? Maybe that comes in the form of manners, baking, travel tips and party planning. However, when it comes to skincare, there are certain tips and tricks that have become outdated. We are here to help you and your family take the very best care of their skin.
Hydrogen peroxide for cleaning cuts
Hydrogen peroxide has been used as an antiseptic since the 1920s, and applauded for its germ fighting properties. If you grew up at any point in the past hundred years, you have no doubt come first hand with the burning and fizzing experience of hydrogen peroxide when a parent was pouring it over your open wound. However, while this fizzing response does remove bacteria from an open wound, it actually impairs our body’s purposeful and quick response to healing. When the body experiences a cut, multiple cells help to manage the healing and repair process. If used, hydrogen peroxide’s cleaning properties don’t discriminate between bacteria cells and skin cells, so cause corrosive tissue damage and significantly impair the healing process. While it may be okay to clean an initial cut with hydrogen peroxide, we recommend daily cleaning with gentle soap and water for best results.
Letting the wound breathe
Cuts and scrapes need oxygen to heal, right? Yes, technically, but it’s not just about oxygen anymore, it’s about creating the perfect environment for optimal healing. You might have heard that wounds need air to heal, so it’s best to clean it up and let it air out. But, as much as that may have made sense years ago, we’ve learned that leaving a wound uncovered can actually slow down the healing process, can be more painful, can pick up dirt from the air, and can create a worse scar. A scab in the middle of a wound is like a big boulder, preventing the healthy skin cells underneath from migrating over the wound to heal it. It’s best to clean the cut with gentle soap and water, apply vaseline, cover with a bandage, and repeat this process at least daily. Keeping the wound clean and moist will create the perfect environment to heal.
Cold water for pore reduction
Tired of large pores on your nose, cheeks and chin? Just splash some cold water on your skin to reduce their size! False. Unfortunately, pore size is determined by genetics, sun damage, hair follicles and sweat glands. Pores cannot be treated with a cold – or hot, for that matter – wash. If you’re interested in reducing the size of your pores, it’s best to focus on unclogging pores with the help of exfoliants and moisturizers, and use retinoids to tighten skin and shrink sebaceous glands. If all of this sounds foreign to you, just ask your dermatologist and he/she will be happy to recommend a skincare regimen that will work best for you.
For tried and true tips and tricks for taking the best care of your skin, reach out to a dermatologist who has years of training and experience! He or she has literally seen it all and is happy to be your go-to skincare guru to help you get the most out of your skin, today and in the future. Please reach out today to schedule an appointment!
