The use of light to heal wounds has a number of advantages, including reduced inflammation and scarring of tissues, as compared to sutures [4, 8]. Photobonding technologies also immediately form a tightly closed seal, which helps speed up healing.
It is very important not to expose premature, immature scars to sunlight. Ultraviolet radiation during early healing period can lead to increased risk of all scar formations including hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation.
Heal inflammation
While it's not a prescription to spend a lot of time in the sun getting UV radiation, the sun can help with inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne. Sunlight has also been associated with improving autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Sunshine boosts your body's level of serotonin, which is a chemical that improves your mood and helps you stay calm and focused.
In summary, proteins, carbohydrates, arginine, glutamine, polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron play a significant role in wound healing, and their deficiencies affect wound healing.
Foods rich in vitamin C
When your skin heals, it needs collagen, which is the major protein that makes up your skin. In order to make collagen, you need vitamin C. Eating foods with vitamin C can promote skin healing by stimulating new skin cells to grow in the damaged area.
Sun exposure not only affects a scar's appearance, but also how quickly your tissue heals. “After two or three months, the scar starts to look fairly normal, but if you get burned it can really throw the scar back into the first two stages of healing,” he says.
Protect your scar from sunlight.
Your scar is very sensitive to strong sunlight and can burn easily, so please try to avoid exposing your scar to the sun. You should use a very strong sunblock (SPF 30 or higher) on your scar for 18 months after the surgery/injury that caused the scar.
On the contrary, too much sun exposure can actually cause further discoloration in scars, and scar tissue is more susceptible to sun damage than the rest of your skin. For these reasons, it is paramount to protect your scars (and all of your skin) from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
It is very important to keep any new scars out of the sun for six months to one year. Basically, it should be covered until it turns into a mature scar. The best way to keep a scar out of the sun is to cover it with clothing, some sort of tape or even an adhesive bandage if it is small enough.
Wound healing can be delayed by factors local to the wound itself, including desiccation, infection or abnormal bacterial presence, maceration, necrosis, pressure, trauma, and edema.
Poor Circulation
During the healing process, your body's red blood cells carry new cells to the site to begin rebuilding tissue. Poor blood circulation can slow down this process, making the wound that much longer to heal. Chronic conditions, such as diabetes and obesity, can cause poor blood circulation.
Once the wound has formed a scab, there is no longer the need to cover it with a bandage as the scab now acts as a protective barrier. Keep the area clean, but be gentle so that you do not accidentally remove the scab.
Experts say some big factors may be out of your control, such as genetics (the same physical gifts that, say, make a person faster and stronger may speed recovery, too) and having hyper-ready access to world-class care that allows for treatment and rehab at much more regular intervals.
Betadine is used on the skin to treat or prevent skin infection in minor cuts, scrapes, or burns. Betadine is also used in a medical setting to help prevent infection and promote healing in skin wounds, pressure sores, or surgical incisions.
How long it takes to heal a wound depends on how large or deep the cut is. It may take up to a few years to completely heal. An open wound may take longer to heal than a closed wound. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, after about 3 months, most wounds are repaired.
Vitamin A, vitamin C and zinc help your body to repair tissue damage, fight infections, and keep your skin healthy.
Remodeling or also known as maturation phase is the fourth and final phase in wound healing and lasts from 21 days up to 2 years. In this final and longest phase, collagen synthesis is ongoing in order to strengthen the tissue. Remodeling occurs as wound continues to contract and fibers are being reorganized.
The most common factor that causes non-healing wounds is infection. If a wound becomes infected or contaminated, the body's immune system directs its efforts toward fighting bacteria rather than healing. Bacteria can also cause cell death as well as toxins that can delay or stop healing.
How long it takes: Usually between 4-24 days. You can help the healing process stay on track by keeping the new tissue on wounds clean and hydrated. Signs it's working: During this stage, the granulation tissue over your wound is typically pink or red and uneven in texture – and it usually doesn't bleed.
Skin trauma and inflammation (for example surgery or severe acne) can trigger post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, causing the scar to turn dark brown. Exposure to ultraviolet light can make the condition worse.
To help your scar mature it is recommended that you massage and moisturise your scar.
Normal fine-line scars
A minor wound like a cut will usually heal to leave a raised line, which will gradually fade and flatten over time. This process can take up to 2 years. The scar will not disappear completely and you'll be left with a visible mark or line.