Caring for scratches

Scratches are mild forms of cuts.¹ These are slight injuries that happen when a sharp object, like a fingernail or thorn, scrapes along the skin. Scratches can also be caused by cats or other animals.

1. Wash your hands:

Wash and dry your hands thoroughly

2. Clean the wound:

“Clean the wound under drinking-quality running tap water.
Note: Avoid using antiseptic as it may damage the skin and slow healing.” ²

3. Dry the skin:

Pat the area dry with a clean towel.²

4. Stop the bleeding:

“If the wound is bleeding, apply gentle pressure to the area with a clean gauze bandage or cloth and elevate until the bleeding stops.” ²

5. Dress the wound:

Apply a sterile adhesive dressing. ²
The dressing can be changed daily if necessary or whenever it becomes wet or dirty.
Keep the wound dry by using waterproof dressings, which will allow you to take showers. ²

When was your last tetanus vaccination?

Please consult a healthcare professional to consider a tetanus booster. ³

When to seek medical advice

Most scratches are minor and can be dealt with at home. However, seek medical attention from a healthcare professional, if:

you can't stop the bleeding
you're bleeding from an artery
you experience persistent or significant loss of sensation near the wound or you're having trouble moving any body parts
you have a severe cut to your face
you have a cut on the palm of your hand and it looks infected
there's a possibility a foreign body is still inside the wound
the wound is very large or the injury has caused a lot of tissue damage ²