I recently got a bad scratch on my leg which turned an angry red color. I know it sounds dumb, but I was pulling up my pants and the zipper caught on my leg.
I tend to keloid and scar very easily. The tiniest cut gets me a nasty looking scar. I decided to try my mother's cure of applying the juice from the aloe plant. Then I tried Bacitracin.
Art insisted that I stop that and use petroleum jelly. When he had a mole removed from his chest the dermatologist told him not to use Bacitracin or Neosporin, but to apply Vaseline. They said to keep the wound moist with the Vaseline for a few days to give the skin time to heal without scabbing over.
I took his advice just to see if it would work because his chest wound really did heal beautifully.
My leg did also heal very nicely.
I did a bit of research on it and it appears the reason for choosing petroleum jelly over Neosporin is because some people might be allergic to the antibiotic cream.
This study by the Massachusetts Medical Society says that there isn't much difference between the two if you discount an allergic reaction. Petroleum jelly would be the cheaper alternative for wound treatment. However, they did also say that further studies should be considered.
What do you do?
Wishing you all a peaceful Memorial Day made possible and protected by the sacrifices of our courageous armed forces.
I tend to keloid and scar very easily. The tiniest cut gets me a nasty looking scar. I decided to try my mother's cure of applying the juice from the aloe plant. Then I tried Bacitracin.
Art insisted that I stop that and use petroleum jelly. When he had a mole removed from his chest the dermatologist told him not to use Bacitracin or Neosporin, but to apply Vaseline. They said to keep the wound moist with the Vaseline for a few days to give the skin time to heal without scabbing over.
I took his advice just to see if it would work because his chest wound really did heal beautifully.
My leg did also heal very nicely.
I did a bit of research on it and it appears the reason for choosing petroleum jelly over Neosporin is because some people might be allergic to the antibiotic cream.
This study by the Massachusetts Medical Society says that there isn't much difference between the two if you discount an allergic reaction. Petroleum jelly would be the cheaper alternative for wound treatment. However, they did also say that further studies should be considered.
What do you do?
Wishing you all a peaceful Memorial Day made possible and protected by the sacrifices of our courageous armed forces.
Hello Kay, I am a first time visitor who stopped in from another blog, The AC is On, which I have been reading for several years, but always looking for new blog friends as well. Yes, to using petroleum jelly for many household mishaps. I was told to apply it to chapped fingers and then wear cotton gloves to soften and protect my thumbs which tend to crack badly in winter. Also have used it for scrapes and also for burns. Neosporin is also good to precent infections, but as you noted it is costly. Glad your zipper burn was cured easily.
ReplyDeleteI usually just don't do anything to it. I tripped and fell in March and had several abrasions on my right knee and leg. They were red and raw. I did nothing to them, and now only a scab remains on my leg. Eventually, that scab will fall off and it all will be ancient history.
ReplyDeleteIf I get a scrape that is dirty, I wash it and apply Bacitracin. But petroleum jelly should work in most cases like yours. Good information! :-)
ReplyDeleteHi There, We use Petroleum Jelly for lots of things... Recently I did some clean-up work on our deck chairs. I used some cleaning fluid with bleach. That bleach worked great --and cleaned those chairs easily. BUT--it also broke out my finger tips... I've been using Petroleum Jelly on them--and they are healing quickly..
ReplyDeleteHappy Memorial Day. Let's never forget those men and women who served and gave so much for our FREEDOM.
Hugs,
Betsy
Sometimes the old methods work very well.
ReplyDeleteWe use a Silver creme prescribed by the doc. The main reason for not using the antibiotics is that they have been so overused that they no longer work any more.
ReplyDeleteHappy Memorial day
ReplyDeleteI had a giant, long, large keloid from surgery that had to be surgically removed and was followed up by a number of radiation treatments to keep it from returning. I'd probably go with the Vaseline. Unless infected all you need is to keep the skin around the injury pliable so it can heal without puckering.
ReplyDeletewow the petroleum jelly did a good job! We use polysporin the first thought being to avoid an infection.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the good info!
ReplyDeleteI think you are right- vaseline is an old time remedy for many things and it still works like a charm today!
ReplyDeleteI am going to give Vaseline a try!!
ReplyDeleteWell, it can't be any worse than mercurochrome, orange stuff that my mother daubed on all our cuts when we were growing up. I am pretty sure it must have contained mercury and I don't believe it is even available anymore. The curative effect came entirely for having your mother's undivided attention as she cared for the mishaps of a childhood spent outdoors climbing on things.
ReplyDeleteMy dermatologist said the same thing about Vaseline. I used it to heal a skin cancer removal that was quite deep and it did great. Then as my pacemaker wound wasn't healing right, he suggested plain ole Vaseline again and it worked wonders. Great stuff.
ReplyDeleteI use Anti-I from Dr. Schultz (herbdoc.com) for any cuts, scrapes, ouchies. It stings like crazy if it has bacteria but then it heals and never gets infected. It has garlic and cayenne in it - tough tough stuff but it works like nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI always used to use triple antibiotic, but my dermatologist told me to use vaseline after having some moles removed. I think it works well. There are good reasons not to overuse antibiotic anything, especially when it seems there is an inexpensive successful alternative.
ReplyDeleteI use polysporin on the cracks that come on my fingers in the winter. It worked well but I don't use anything on open wounds unless they're serious.
ReplyDeleteI just had two moles removed and was told to use vaseline or Aquaphor. Since they gave me a sample of the latter that's what I've been using. They said not to use the antibiotic cream.
ReplyDeletewell, I've learned something new and I do use vaseline lots and it works wonderfully!
ReplyDeletehelpful information
ReplyDeleteAs usual, you really put a lot of thought and work into this post, Kay. It’s amazingly informative. Thank you for sharing this and for keeping us in the know about things some of us never consider. However, I am a firm believer in Vaseline. Have been since childhood, that's all we had.
ReplyDeleteI used it for so many things when my (now grown) kids were young. When Jordyn was about 9 or 10 years old she got a pretty bad scrape. I grabbed the Vaseline as usual. Jordyn chided me, "Mama we could have a broken leg or a busted head and you would just put some Vaseline on it."
THAT girl! LOL
I don't really use anything on simple scrapes and cuts, just make sure it's clean. I guess I have not been concerned about scarring. Most things fade in time.
ReplyDeletewe always used Neosporin when the children were small but now I don't even have any in the house! I'm glad you didn't scar!
ReplyDeleteI have some more poison ivy. It's near the duck nesting box. I have a hormone cream I MUST use, as it gets out of control each time I get another infection from it!
ReplyDeleteWow, Vaseline sounds like the new chicken soup (as a cure-all). :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Vick's VapoRub could be substituted. (It smells so strong that it seems like it would help any affliction.)