Cuts and grazes – Cut yourself or suffered from a graze? Attend to it properly so that your skin can recover quickly.

Remember to wash your hands carefully before treating a wound. Any break in the skin can be susceptible to bacteria penetrating.

Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a clean cotton cloth with Hansaplast Wound Spray or rinse with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing.
Do not remove embedded objects, leave that to medical staff. Usually it is recommended to disinfect the graze or abrasion.

In any case, cover the cut or abrasion with a plaster. A plaster will protect the injured area from friction, bacteria and contamination, will absorb wound fluid and create conditions in which the wound can heal undisturbed. Tip: Hansaplast plasters such as Hansaplast Elastic, Hansaplast Universal and Hansaplast Aqua Protect blocks dirt and bacteria to reduce the risk of infection, helping wounds to heal naturally.

Make sure, you wash your hands before applying plasters or dressings or wear disposable surgical gloves – this will cut the risk of infection.

A minor wound will soon stop bleeding.
If it does not, apply a little pressure to the spot with a non-stick pad until it stops.

If the bleeding continues, apply more gauze pads and keep
pressure on the wound and seek medical advice.

Clean the wound carefully, wiping away any dirt and grit. Use a
clean cotton cloth sprayed with Hansaplast Wound Spray or rinse
with cold water, then pat area dry before applying a clean dressing. Do not remove embedded objects, leave that to medical staff. If there is anything embedded in the skin, do not try to remove it. This should be left to a professional.

Disinfect, then cover the injured area with an appropriate dressing such as a wound pad, compress or an adhesive bandage.

Keep all cuts clean and change dressing regularly.

No. It is a wound care myth that keeping minor cuts and grazes uncovered helps them to heal faster. The contrary is true. Research shows that covered wounds heal more efficiently and have a reduced risk of infection. Hansaplast products provide safe protection until the wound is completely healed.

We recommend to contact a medical professional in the following circumstances:

if the wound is deep and causes major bleeding
if the wound shows signs of infection such as redness, warmth, pain and swelling
if there are embedded foreign objects
in case of an animal or human bite or in case of contact with animal blood
if the wound is in the area of the face
if there is insufficient tetanus vaccination
and of course any time you have questions or are uncertain

Usually, wound dressings and plasters should be changed daily for hygienic reasons.

Contact a medical professional as soon as you recognise signs of infection. Symptoms include not only the occurrence of pus but also symptoms such as swelling, redness, heat, pain, itching or burning. In case of infection the wound will need medical care and special medical treatment.

The waterproof specialists
The Hansaplast Aqua Protect and the Extra Tough Plasters are waterproof and will not come off while washing or showering. All Hansaplast Universal Plasters as well as the Kids Plasters are also water resistant.

The elastic specialists
Check out the Hansaplast Elastic products: The plasters are made from specially flexible, breathable material, making them especially suitable for joints and moveable body parts.

The sensitive specialists
If you have very sensitive skin we recommend to use Hansaplast Sensitive products. These plasters are especially developed for sensitive skin and are extra skin friendly and hypoallergenic.

When using sharp tools, be especially careful and if necessary, wear protective gear

In the kitchen, chop away from yourself and remember that sharp knives are actually less dangerous than blunt ones as they will pass through the object smoother.

Pass scissors with the sharp ends pointing away from the person you are giving them to.

It is not possible to avoid all cuts and grazes, so make sure to have a well-stocked first aid kit at home. Find tips on what it should contain here.

Don‘t pick at scabs. Right after you get a cut or scrape your body starts healing the wound. White blood cells attack infection-causing bacteria. Red blood cells, fibrin, and platelets create a clot over your wound. And in no time, a scab forms. If you pick off the scab, you may not only reopen the wound and introduce bacteria, you could also create a larger scar.