Fresh skin is super sensitive to UV rays and is very prone to sunburns (which would further add to your pain).Īnd there you have it, our comprehensive, non-medical expert advice for healing large patches of skin following a crash.If the wound is larger than your palm, seek medical adviceĭr Prentice Steffen, a physician with experience of working with professional cycling teams, warns that road rash, although painful, should be low on a rider’s list of priorities. Importantly, keep your fresh wounds covered in the sun for several weeks after your crash. Your body will heal better, and with less chance of scarring. It may be annoying to maintain bandages for a week or so, but trust us, it's worth it. When they dry out and become scabbed over, the road rash will heal at a much slower rate. Keeping the wounds wet will keep the healing process going strong. You may have heard that road rash should be aired out, just don't do it. Some waterproof bandages should be fine to leave in place post shower, but if any are looking a little rough around the edges, repeat steps 7 through 9. When you resume training, or just need a shower like a hygienic member of society does, keep the wounds covered and the current dressings in place. If you feel the wounds drying out, reapply ointment and apply fresh bandages. The beauty of Tegaderm, is that it seals up the wound and allows the healing process to work its magic under a pseudo layer of skin, and can therefore be left alone for a few days. In the days following your crash, change your bandages as necessary. Put your feet up, hydrate and eat well! You won't lose all of your hard-earned form with a short break from the bike. Unless you get paid to ride your bike (high-five), it might be best to take a day or two off. This will ensure they stay in place and easy to deal with later.
For these type of bandages, ensure that they extend at least a finger's width beyond the edge of the wound. If the wounds are mild and not terribly deep, apply a Tegaderm bandage and secure it with an additional Band-Aid type bandage (this really helps to keep clothes clean). Remember to take gravity into account and apply more gauze towards the bottom! Secure the bandages with medical tape, and our favorite for elbows and knees, stretch net. If your wounds are deep and will seep (yep it's gross, but get over it now), use a non-stick pad against the skin and a gauze pad above that. Refer to the aforementioned list of "mandatory" items, for our preferred types of dressings. Do not let these suckers dry out! Keeping your wounds moist will keep the healing process moving quickly.īandage time. Using a q-tip, apply an antibiotic ointment to the wounds. Pat yourself dry around the affected areas, and make sure the skin around the wounds is dry enough for adhesive to stick to.Ĭlean, again. Your anguish now will pay dividends in the form of a speedier recovery time. Ensure you've cleaned each open wound as it will greatly reduce your chance of infection. If there is debris embedded in the wound, you may want to seek medical assistance. A word for the wise, no additional scrubbing is needed to clean your wounds. Clean your wounds with Hibiclens antiseptic/microbial soap and water, be gentle, it will sting. If you suspect additional, more serious injury, revert to step 4(b). How is everything feeling? If you are confident your only injury is road rash, proceed to step 6. (a) Get home (b) if your wounds are serious enough, to an urgent care facility, or to a Hospital if absolutely necessary. But we won't dwell on your bike as this post is focused on the mortals. Make sure your bars and saddle are pointing in the right direction and check for impact damage to your bike and wheels. If everything is still working, move to step 3.Ĭheck your bike.
Where was the impact sustained? Is your helmet intact? Splash your wounds with (clean) water if readily available. There will most likely be skin missing, but this is the last item on a race doctor's checklist. The following is a succinct, step-by-step guide to start your treatment:Īssess the damage. These will be extremely useful in the cleaning phase and the recovery phase. Medical cleaning wipes (or go old-school with hydrogen peroxide) andĪ significant other (similarly, a very attentive roommate). Do yourself a favor and buy the heavy duty ones
Hibiclens (antispectic/antimicrobial skin cleanser) īandages in various sizes. Useful, non-required, but entirely mandatory First-Aid kit starter list:
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