Dear doctor;

I got a nasty cut on the thumb but someone says I should not wrap it with adhesive plaster. That when you cover a wound, it takes long to heal. Is this so?

Flo, 28.

Dear Flo,

The answer to all your questions depends on how old the cut is, how deep it was, what was the source of it. Normally, a nasty cut caused by falling down and hitting a sharp object or by a contaminated knife, scissor, among others, need immediate washing and cleaning with soap and water. Antiseptic soap or few drops of antiseptic added to water would be good. Cleaning removes dust and dirt particles in and around wound thus removing substances which would delay healing. After that some antiseptic ointment can be added and it can be covered at least for two to three days. Dressing helps to bring wound edges together, thus helping in healing. It also protects the wound from dust and moisture, thus preventing irritation and infection. Small or not, deep wounds heal spontaneously and do not need much of dressing. In fact, if left open, exposed to air, it aids in healing. But a deep wound always needs to be stitched up for faster healing. A dressing also aids in good healing. Argument against adhesives is that one can have allergy to the adhesive material present, thus aggravating the problem by having itching and swelling over and around the cut. Another issue is the dressing tends to stick to wound and can aggravate it while removing it or putting fresh dressing. This situation can be avoided by applying some antiseptic ointment directly over the wound before applying adhesive plaster. Also while removing an old adhesive it can be removed gently by making it wet with little alcohol or any other antiseptic liquid, thus it is removed readily.