Q:
I got a cut on my hand from a minor biking accident, and it scabbed over at first, but after a couple days the scab turned a greenish color, which I have heard means it is infected. The green scab fell off in the shower, and the skin is still a little raised and red around the wound (it's a couple mm in diameter). I wasn't at first using any antiseptic, just Neosporin and bandaging it, but now I'm using hydrogen peroxide to clean it and Neosporin and bandaging it still. Should I continue this routine or does this need to be looked at?
A:
As long as there is not expanding tender swollen redness around the wound and it is not draining or oozing yellow/green pus, it probably is healing fine. We recommend soap and water cleansing several times a day, keeping scabs from forming over the top of the wound and using Neosporin for antibacterial effect. We no longer recommend hydrogen peroxide as it can be damaging to the growing new skin cells and prolong the healing process.
~The Doc
