!!TW!! Gender Neutral Self Harm Comfort

How To Tend To Self-Harm

This is a little how-to thing on how to properly take care of your cuts/self-harm.

Cuts

Take a clean, sterile pad or towel and hold it against the wound. Press down to try and stop the bleeding.If the bleeding still hasn't stopped after applying pressure for 10 minutes go to the ER If the cut is not deep, cover with a sterile dressing and seal the edges to prevent infection. You will need to change this dressing daily. Use this as a chance to monitor for any signs of infection.If the cut is deep or you think there could be damage to tendons (the connective tissue that connects the muscle to the bone) or ligaments (the connective tissue that connects bone to bone), go to the closest ER please!If they are burning or irritating running them over cool water helps a bit.

Burns

Place the burn under cool tap water for 20 minutes to prevent it from burning any further. If there are blisters, do not burst them. Seek help from your doctor or visit the closest ER so that they can assess how bad the damage is and what type of dressing you might need. Monitor for any signs of infection and go back to your GP or the emergency room if it is showing signs of infection. If there are no blisters, use an after sun (like aloe vera) lotion to prevent the skin from drying out. Monitor for any signs of infection and go to your doctor or go to the closest ER if it is showing signs of infection. Do not burst any blisters you might have, as this can cause an infection. If blisters do burst at any time, rinse with warm water to reduce bacteria.

Signs of infection include:

Puss in the wound An increase in fluid leaking from the wound. A smell coming from the wound. Redness spreading around the area (cellulitis)The wound has not healed after four weeks. The wound starts to bleed again pain, heat, swelling, or tenderness in the area.

How to change dressing:

Wash your hands with warm water and soap and dry thoroughly. Carefully remove the old dressing and throw it in the bin. If the dressing is sticking to the wound, avoid pulling or ripping it off as this could re-open the wound. Instead, soak it in warm water until it comes off. Clean the wound with warm tap water. Carefully dry around the wound with a clean towel, but do not touch or rub the towel against the wound, as this could allow fibers to get in. Look for any signs of infection now that your wound is clean and dry. Place a new, sterile dressing on the wound and seal the edges. Finish by properly washing and drying your hands again.

All this information and more at: https://spunout.ie/mental-health/self-harm/self-harm-wounds

I really hope you feel better <3