The dirt can then be seen through the skin and may look like a tattoo.) Cleaning the woundĬlean the wound as soon as possible to reduce the chance of infection, scarring, and 'tattooing.' (If dirt or other debris is not removed from a scrape, the new skin will heal over it. The dirt can then be seen through the skin and often looks like a tattoo.)Īfter you have stopped the bleeding, check your symptoms to decide if and when you should see a doctor.Ī scrape may continue to ooze small amounts of blood for up to 24 hours and may ooze clear, yellowish, or blood-tinged fluid for several days. (If dirt or other debris is not removed from a scrape, the new skin heals over it. Clean the wound and remove any dirt or debris to prevent infections (both bacterial skin infections and tetanus, or lockjaw), decrease scarring, and prevent 'tattooing' of the skin.Determine if you need to be evaluated and treated by a doctor.Determine if other tissues, such as blood vessels, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, bones, or internal organs, have been injured.

Stop the bleeding with direct pressure to the wound.

For more information, see the topic Cuts. Occasionally the injury that caused the scrape will also have caused a cut or several cuts that may need to be treated by a doctor. How a scrape heals depends on the depth, size, and location of the scrape. Scrapes are usually more painful than cuts because scrapes tear a larger area of skin and expose more nerve endings. Controlling the bleeding will allow you to determine the seriousness of the injury. Scrapes on the head or face may appear worse than they are and bleed a lot because of the good blood supply to this area. Scrapes can occur on any part of the body but usually affect bony areas, such as the hands, forearms, elbows, knees, or shins. School-age children ages 5 to 9 are most affected. They are most commonly caused by accidents or falls but can occur anytime the skin is rubbed against a hard surface, such as the ground, a sidewalk, a carpet, an artificial playing surface, or a road (road rash). Scrapes occur most often in warm weather or warm climates when the skin on the arms and legs is more exposed. Most scrapes are minor, so home treatment is usually all that is needed to care for the wound. Usually there is little bleeding from a scrape, but it may ooze pinkish fluid. Most scrapes are shallow and do not extend far into the skin, but some may remove several layers of skin. Scrapes (abrasions) are skin wounds that rub or tear off skin.

Topic Overview Causes and types of scrapes

Road rash face