Wash the wound immediately by running clean water over it for several minutes. Wound Care Step 1: Apply Pressure. Maceration refers to the skin changes seen when moisture is trapped against the skin for a prolonged period. Scab (Skin Wound) – Formation Process, Causes, Pictures, Care. You have questions or concerns about your condition or care. No area outside of the wound bed at ALL should come in contact with th wet gauze, and SEVERAL 4x4s should be placed on top to absorb the moist gauze underneath. Then the first step is to stop the bleeding. I am pretty accident prone as well, and I always need to patch myself up, especially after playing sports. November/December 2009. Although most maceration clears up quickly once the skin is exposed to fresh air and allowed to dry, sometimes skin that experiences long periods of maceration is vulnerable to fungal and bacterial infection . That white , is a sign of the beginning of new growth of skin and eventually closing of the injury. People who take long baths or showers or who spend a lot of time swimming are the most at risk for this sort of discoloration. In addition, macerated skin becomes extremely soft and takes on a whitish appearance. Tips to avoid infection of traumatic wounds: Clean the wound and skin around it as soon as … How to Look Fresh After Working Up a Sweat, Information about the device's operating system, Information about other identifiers assigned to the device, The IP address from which the device accesses a client's website or mobile application, Information about the user's activity on that device, including web pages and mobile apps visited or used, Information about the geographic location of the device when it accesses a website or mobile application. Most experts recommend a “wait and see” approach to white scabs. Water molecules cause the tissues on the skin’s surface to retract and pull away, which can leave scabs seemingly colorless for many of the same reasons that fingers and toes often look pale and wrinkled or prune-like after too long of a soak. Maceration occurs when too much moisture is trapped between the wound and its bandage--sometimes the exudate (seepage of biological waste from the wound) escapes and gets trapped under the bandage, and sometimes the wound itself becomes overly moist. March 2008. The excess moisture is sometimes called hyperhydration. I fell down rollerblading last week and made a mess of my knees. Maceration. Removing the soft white material can cause the healing process to start over, increasing the overall healing period and possibly leading to scars or permanent skin damage. Rehab Management. (Oct. 7, 2010)http://www.worldwidewounds.com/2008/march/Thomas/Maceration-and-the-role-of-dressings.html, 3M. Blood, heart, kidney, and lung disease can also decrease the oxygen supply to tissues. You have increased or new pain, swelling, redness, or bleeding in or around your wound. Skin forms an impervious barrier to changing weather conditions as well as chemical and bacterial assault. Unless you are referring to the piece of skin that got scraped , almost off , NO ! I noticed earlier that there was a white part, and didn't think anything of picking it off. By Aletha Tippett MD. Color. The damage caused by a wound can damage the skin cells, and if it goes deep enough, it will also damage the melanocyte cells. It’s critical to remove any particles or dirt from your wound immediately, during the cleansing process, according to Sonoa Au, MD, of Advanced Dermatology, PC in New York and New … A dark patch (or band) of velvety skin on the back of your … Then, clean the skin around the wound with warm, soapy water. 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