This information is approved and/or reviewed by U-M Health System providers but it is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for medical treatment. You should speak to your physician or make an appointment to be seen if you have questions or concerns about this information or your medical condition. Exención de responsabilidad en Español | Complete disclaimer
A scrape, or abrasion, is an area of skin that has been scraped during a fall (for example, a floor burn or skinned knee).
First, wash your hands. Then wash the wound thoroughly for 5 minutes with warm water and liquid soap. You may need to scrub the area several times with a wet gauze to get all the dirt out. You may have to remove some dirt particles (for example, gravel) with a tweezers. If there is tar in the wound, it can often be removed by rubbing it with petroleum jelly, followed by soap and water again. Cut off pieces of loose skin with sterile scissors, especially if the pieces of skin are dirty. Rinse the wound well.
Apply an antibiotic ointment and cover the scrape with a Band-Aid or gauze dressing. This is especially important for scrapes over joints (such as the elbow, knee, or hand) that are always being stretched. Cracking and reopening at these sites can be prevented with an antibiotic ointment, which keeps the crust soft. Cleanse the area once a day with warm water and then reapply the ointment and dressing until the scrape is healed.
Because abrasions can hurt badly, take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) as needed.
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