Hydrogen Peroxide is No Longer a "Go-to" for Wound Care- Do Not Put it on Your Skin. Ever.

Since it’s still summer and the season of play, I look back on the minor cuts and scrapes I experienced while adventuring in the outside world. There are some surprising new facts about minor wound care and some updates on how to get the best results. Treating minor wounds properly is vital for the health and look of your skin. Even minor wounds can create scars that last for years if not for the length of your lifetime. In the past Hydrogen Peroxide was always the “go-to” whenever sterilizing a minor cut and also an ingredient I’ve used over and over again on myself. I was shocked to find out that Hydrogen Peroxide was no longer recommended for wound care and that it actually damages healthy skin cells. Wha? Grandma was wrong? Studies have shown that using hydrogen peroxide on wounds can actually slow the healing process by oxygenating the skin cells and causing free radical damage. It can damage healthy cells and not only increase wound healing time but can increase the chance of scarring. Increase scarring! No bueno.

• Don’t EVER put it on your skin.
• Put it on an open wound- major or minor
• Swish it in your mouth.
• Swallow it
• Use it for any other bodily remedies that I don’t want to know about.
• Beware of blog and pinterest DIY beauty treatments using hydrogen peroxide. (I’ve personally deleted all of mine from my boards.)

So how do we treat minor wounds? I checked the WebMD for minor cuts and scrapes. It’s best to clean wounds by running them under clean water and covering them with a sterile cloth. Hydrogen peroxide is great if you want your counters to be clean but if you can help it, I would keep it from touching your skin entirely. Source: Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, September 2001, pages 675–687.