Have you or your child fallen or bumped into something, that gave you a bad knee scrape? Nothing to worry about there, just learn about some remedial steps on how to tend to one, and you / your child will be just fine...

It is natural for us to scrape our knees when we bustle about, where the only cause for concern should be to stop the possibility of an infection. Kids too, being active outdoors and all, have the tendency to fall down on gravel laden grounds, with bloody scrapes that occur upon contact. Treating a knee scrape is no difficult task, where immediate care should be administered without leaving the wound exposed to open air for too long. The biggest mistake parents and injured parties do, is apply something alcohol based to their wounds.

I remember a similar time when my father bolted to get his perfume bottle, dousing my wound with it while I wailed even louder. Applying alcohol-based liquids and sprays not only stunts the healing process midway, but destroys living cells exposed within an injury. You need to use substances that are gentle to the affected area, and use the recommended antiseptic products that you will come across here. A bad knee scrape can be easily helped if acted upon soon enough; telling your kids to be careful while out playing will help avoid future injuries.

How to Take Care of a Knee Scrape

You'll find easy-fix steps for an effective skinned knee remedy. Just be sure to attend to it immediately.

→ Step A
When you look over the scrape, first apply pressure to it, to help stop the bleeding. Use a clean paper towel, folding it in half and then across again to thicken it for absorption.

→ Step B
If there are any wood shavings or tiny pieces of gravel, remove these gently by using the paper towel to dust them off. Also make sure you sanitize your hands or run them under water and then use a soap before handling the wound. Run warm water over the wound, gently sweeping over it to remove anything that may still be embedded.

→ Step C
Use an antiseptic soap for the wound, and wash it gently using warm water to lather it up. You can use fun, printed band aids for kids, to keep them distracted from the injury. Liquid bandages will help keep the wound moist, and allow it to heal much faster. Directly apply the band-aid to the wound, and make sure that the scrape is completely cut off from direct open air.

→ Step D
Wounds tend to start getting all itchy, where it is quite tempting to pick at the scab once it starts to heal. In this case, apply an antibiotic cream and wait for a day or two. You can use marigold tincture to help with the healing process, where it contains a very small amount of alcohol which won't do any major damage. Be sure to have any pus formation, reddening or warm sensations around the wounded area, checked out by a doctor to rule out an infection. He / she can also prescribe some other medications to help let it heal better.

It takes about 4 - 5 days for knee scrapes to heal, which shouldn't let you worry about it further if it seems to do just fine, minus the above mentioned symptoms to look out for. Encourage kids to play with knee pads, and elbow pads as well, to protect these sensitive and injury prone areas from harm. Always keep on hand a first-aid kit and a stock full of bandages and antiseptic ointments to deal with such episodes in the future. If the pain is too much to take initially, you can always have ibuprofen, or acetaminophen, to ease the sensation.