DAMAGED
SKIN

WHAT SLOWS
DOWN HEALING?

Certain factors slow down healing:

Damage to the skin, or “lesions” can be either epidermal (affecting the most superficial layer of skin and non-bleeding) or dermal (affecting the deeper layer of skin and bleeding). Whenever the dermis is affected, all wounds, burns, surgical incisions, or infections leave behind some kind of scar. That is not to say that all scars are equal: The goal of any treatment is to improve the healing process for the best-looking scar possible,which should be flat, supple and close to your skin tone.

• Age: The skin heals faster in young people.
• Diet: An unbalanced diet lacking in vitamins and trace elements can lead to slower healing.
• Diabetes: Wounds may heal very slowly in poorly controlled diabetes.
• Smoking: Results in decreased oxygenation of the wound and slower healing.
• Certain medicines: Immunosuppressants and corticosteroids can delay healing.

HOW CAN YOU
SPEED UP HEALING?

The above are your healing “foes” but you have plenty of “friends” too! To boost healing:

• Eat a balanced diet rich in sources of protein and fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Make sure you get your recommended hours of sleep per night (8 is a good rule of thumb for adults).
• Keep your wound hygienic and clean.
• Apply a reputable wound healing cream with targeted active ingredients to accelerate your skin’s repair.

In this section, you will learn how to promote skin healing in different situations:

• Nappy rash: How to soothe and repair irritated baby skin with products safe from the first day of life.
• Scars and stitches: How to optimise scar healing, reduce scarring from stitches, protect scars from the sun and use scar massage techniques.
• Burns: How to manage a household burn and when to seek medical attention.
• Post-procedure skin: How to speed up skin healing after an aesthetic procedure like a peel or laser treatment.
• Tattoos: How to care for your new tattoo to keep it looking sharp, bright and beautiful.
• Localised skin damage: How to enhance the recovery of red and raw skin after a cold, when you have lip problems like cheilitis, or when you have fragile nail issues.