# How to get road rash to heal as quick as possible



## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

I just spilled and got some road rash on my elbow and hip. It's not too deep so I think it'll heal quick. But I was hit by a car once and the road rash took months to heal. So I figured I'd post here to see if anyone has suggestions.l


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## JRod0981 (Apr 26, 2017)

How big is it? I use tegaderm religiously when I have taken some spills in the past. Prevents scabs and you can keep it on for up to 7 days usually which allows new skin to develop without the scabs. They have varrying sizes of tegaderm bandages. Most common size that I use is the 4" by 4 3/4". I don't use them often, but I always have some at home in case. 

In fact using it now after a tire blew out and caused me to crash on my MTB a week back. Had a small road rash scrape on my elbow and it's practically almost all healed up with new skin.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

JRod0981 said:


> How big is it? I use tegaderm religiously when I have taken some spills in the past. Prevents scabs and you can keep it on for up to 7 days usually which allows new skin to develop without the scabs. They have varrying sizes of tegaderm bandages. Most common size that I use is the 4" by 4 3/4". I don't use them often, but I always have some at home in case.
> 
> In fact using it now after a tire blew out and caused me to crash on my MTB a week back. Had a small road rash scrape on my elbow and it's practically almost all healed up with new skin.


It's about 4" x 3". I asked the pharmacist about tegaderm and she thought it would prevent mobility since it's on my elbow. Pharmacist said to keep it cover and use Neosporin. I still have some silver sulfadiazine cream from my last elbow injury which helped a great deal. But that was a lot deeper and not healing after many weeks so may be overkill for this.


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## Dropper (Mar 1, 2018)

I burned my hand as a stupid teenager and the silver sulfa cream worked wonders.

I spilled last week and got some trail rash on forearm. Neosporin/Muprosin first night after cleaning. Then been putting A&D ointment and its worked well.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

Another vote for tegaderm. As just about any nurse or doctor will tell you, a moist wound bed is a happy wound bed. First few days you will probably have to change the patch a couple times as the wound will want to seep and ooze a bit as it goes through its normal process of attempting to eject any contaminants. But after that you should be good for wearing it up to a few days. Currently wearing on a slice on my calf that probably should have been stitches but meh, too late now.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

Thanks all. Seems like it's getting better but still not healing as quickly as i'd like so I'm going to stop in urgent care tomorrow to see if the dr has recommendations and make sure it's doing alright. I waited way too long to see dr after a previous similar injury. Will mention tegaderm and silver sulfa cream if they don't bring it up too.

I don't think it's infected but here's a pic

https://s15.postimg.cc/vm7xhw9h5/IMG_0083.jpg


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## Dr Evil (Sep 20, 2015)

I highly recommend this product and I also sell it to patients in my office (the link is not me). I face planted on a metal grate a few years ago missing the landing on a gap jump. Had a honeycomb pattern cut into the side of my face. Within a week you couldn't even tell anything happened. https://www.naturalhealthyconcepts.com/smart-silver-topical-gel-DB4oz.html


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## Le Duke (Mar 23, 2009)

Tegaderm. 




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Cleaner (Mar 23, 2004)

*Hydrocolloidal dressings*

Hydrocolloidal dressings will generally speed healing and minimize scarring. Tegaderm is a version of this DuoDerm is another brand that works well in my experience. I heard about it from a team doctor for a cycling team.

If you use one of these they can stay on for extended periods (days; see packaging for instructions) and can be worn in the shower. Make sure you debride and clean the area very well before putting on the dressing and then watch closely for signs of infection. I use a medical wound care solution to wash it for debridement and cleaning and then add a bit of antibiotic ointment to the area before covering it.

The better versions will manage the exudate from the wound but be aware that it will turn white under the dressing and to some will look like pus/infection. This can be disconcerting to some but is normal as the wound weeps. You need to evaluate the wound for infection using other criteria other than they way it looks under the dressing.


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## JRod0981 (Apr 26, 2017)

bank5 said:


> It's about 4" x 3". I asked the pharmacist about tegaderm and she thought it would prevent mobility since it's on my elbow. Pharmacist said to keep it cover and use Neosporin. I still have some silver sulfadiazine cream from my last elbow injury which helped a great deal. But that was a lot deeper and not healing after many weeks so may be overkill for this.


Tegaderm will not inhibit mobility. It flexes with you. You will feel it, but you are good. My recent spill impacted my elbow and I continued to ride with tegaderm on there. My stuff is fully healed with new skin after 7 days and no scabs. I just had to replace the tegaderm a few times as the scrape oozed a bit and after a ride you sweat which loosens them up some. Replace them when needed but keep the bandage on continuously for the few days that it takes it to heal and you will be good to go.

Good luck.


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## bank5 (May 7, 2008)

The PA at urgent care recommended Silvadene. He hadn't heard of tegaderm which I found surprising, but I knew silvadene worked well with previous smaller but deeper road rash. 
I'm pretty surprised how much better it is now a day and half after using silvadene. I should have probably used it right after the injury.


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## eggdog (Nov 17, 2010)

+1 tegaderm..Works wonders


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## Cuyuna (May 14, 2017)

Topical antibiotics (like Silvadene) and barriers like Tegaderm or hydorcolloidal dressings won't make a wound heal faster, it will prevent it from healing slower.

Healing of a partial thickness injury like road rash is dependent on depth of injury, not area.


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## gregnash (Jul 17, 2010)

Yup tegaderm will move with you. I have been riding with a patch over the lower head of my calf muscle and it has not caused any pinching, stretching, etc. issues with the skin or the patch. I was religiously replacing every three days and now am to the point where I no longer need it.


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## thesmokingman (Jan 17, 2009)

I use a combo of *Adaptic *on the wound, *Mirasorb *on top of the Adaptic, and Tegaderm to bandage it up. I cut the Tegaderm into a strip or band so it specifically covers over the mirasorb gauze. Then more Tegaderm on either side. This is done to reduce the air gaps between the gauze height and skin. I've been doing it this way for 3-4 seasons now for our local hs mtb team. The first year, we ran thru a 50 box count of the stuff, yikes. For light rashes Tegaderm alone is enough. But for the deeper rashes, the Adaptic and Mirasorb is needed.


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