How to Speed Up Healing Time to Get Rid of Scabs Faster
Scabs can form when the skin’s outer layer gets damaged by cuts or grazes and bleeds. Although scabs are unsightly, they are an important part of the healing process. Scabs form a hard crust over the wound to protect the wound from germs and infection and help speed up healing. You should not try to get rid of a scab too quickly by picking at it, as this can cause permanent scarring and damage to your skin. However, natural ingredients like coconut oil, tea tree oil, and honey can help to get rid of scabs faster.
The fastest way to heal a scab on your face, arms, legs, or another part of your body is to keep the area moist and well hydrated. For example, regularly applying a natural healing ointment like aloe vera can help to get rid of scabs on the face caused by acne or pimples. If a scab forms over a grazed elbow or knee then regularly applying coconut oil helps to quickly heal the scab and prevent the hardened crust from cracking.
In this article, you will find out how to heal a scab fast using natural home remedies. You will also learn about the best way to care for wounds to prevent scabs forming in the first place. This article also answers many frequently asked questions regarding the best ways of quickly getting rid of scabs.
How Scabs are Involved in Wound Healing
Scabs assist with wound healing by helping to prevent bleeding and infection in an open wound. Crusty scabs consist of blood and serum that harden over a wound.
According to the journal PLoS Biology, scabs help to repair damaged or injured skin. Within 15 minutes after a wound beginning to bleed, a dark clot or plug forms over the wound to prevent further bleeding and this hardens into a scab. The scab contains proteins and cells that help heal the skin and accelerate wound healing.1
This helps to explain why you shouldn’t pick at a scab to try and remove it. Doctors say that removing a scab too early also removes important healing cells that are needed for the skin to heal properly.1
How to Get Rid of Scabs Faster and Speed Up Wound Healing
It will take time and patience to completely remove a scab without picking at it and damaging your skin. Here are some of the best home remedies to help speed up the healing time and say goodbye to unsightly scabs.
Warm chamomile compress to get rid of scabs faster
Regularly applying a warm chamomile compress can help to make a scab go away faster by keeping it moist.
Chamomile is a well-known herb that has both soothing and healing properties. The journal Molecular Medicine Reports reported on a study that chamomile has wound-healing activity and helps to contract the skin around the wound. It was found that chamomile has the potential to heal wounds faster than corticosteroids.2
Warmth and moisture from the compress help to keep the scab moist and improve blood circulation to the wound. These are essential factors when treating and dressing wounds to speed up healing.
How to use chamomile compress for scabs
It is very easy to make your own chamomile warm compress at home to help get rid of scabs faster. This is what you should do:
- Place one or two chamomile tea bags in a cup of boiling water and cover for 10 or 15 minutes.
- Allow the chamomile infusion to cool so that the liquid is warm to touch and not too hot.
- Use one of the tea bags and gently press on the scab for 10-15 minutes.
- Apply the warm chamomile compress 2 times a day to treat the scab.
This is a great method if you have smaller scabs on your face because of acne. However, for larger scabs, you could dip a soak a washcloth in the warm chamomile infusion and then apply to the scab on your skin wound.
Applying chamomile to your skin after an injury is also one great way to prevent bruising naturally.
Coconut oil and tea tree oil to remove scabs
You can use a combination of virgin coconut oil and tea tree oil to help scabs heal faster and prevent infection in the wound.
There are a number of reasons why coconut oil is an effective home remedy for skin with scabs. Coconut oil is a rich source of fatty acids that helps to moisturize the skin. According to a study published in 2010, coconut oil also helps to promote wound healing when applied topically. Coconut oil helps to increase collagen in the skin and contains antioxidant properties.3
By adding tea tree oil to coconut oil, you create a powerful antimicrobial healing salve for getting rid of scabs. For example, the journal Clinical Microbiology Reviews reported that tea tree oil contains powerful antibacterial properties and can be used as an effective topical wound-healing ingredient.
How to use coconut oil to get rid of scabs quickly
To help quickly get rid of an annoying scab that is crusty and itches, this is what you should do:
- Mix 2-3 drops tea tree oil with one tablespoon virgin coconut oil.
- Gently massage the coconut oil and tea tree oil remedy into the scab to help keep it moist and decrease your risk of infection.
- Apply the coconut oil ointment 3 times a day to the scab until it disappears completely.
Regularly applying the coconut oil and tea tree oil ointment to a scab will help to remove it quickly without scarring. Coconut oil is also an effective home remedy for eczema because it helps to soothe cracked, inflamed skin.
Aloe vera for healing scabs
Apply some healing aloe vera to help get rid of a scab on your face or anywhere else on your body.
Aloe vera is a well-known natural remedy for damaged skin because of its ability to accelerate wound healing. A review into the healing properties of aloe vera found that it contains important enzymes and vitamins that help to boost collagen production in the skin. The review concluded that aloe vera is a useful natural wound healing treatment.4
The journal Annals of Plastic Surgery reported that a topical application of aloe vera can speed up wound healing. It was found that aloe vera helped promote wound contraction and reduced the amount of scar tissue that forms in wounds.5
How to use aloe vera to quickly remove scabs
It couldn’t be easier to use aloe vera to quickly remove scabs from your skin and prevent any scarring taking place. This is what you should do:
- Squeeze the flesh from the leaf of an aloe vera plant or buy aloe vera gel with as few added ingredients as possible.
- Apply liberal amounts of aloe vera gel to the scab by gently massaging the gel until it is absorbed by the skin.
- Repeat the aloe vera application 2-3 times a day to help get rid of the crusty scab quicker.
- Continue using the aloe vera treatment to help the wound heal and prevent scarring from damaged tissue.
Honey to heal and get rid of scabs on lips, face, or limbs
Use the natural healing properties of raw, natural honey to get rid of scabs on your lips, face, or limbs.
Honey contains antibacterial and wound healing properties that can help to prevent scabs appearing in the first place. The journal of Research in Ayurveda reported that honey promotes rapid skin healing and helps healthy skin cells to regenerate quicker. Regular application of honey to a wound can also reduce excessive scarring.6
You can also use raw honey to get rid of lip scabs that have been caused by fever blisters (also known as cold sores). The journal Medical Science Monitor reported that raw honey has antiviral properties similar to acyclovir (a medication used for healing cold sores). The study showed that honey is a safe and effective natural remedy for treating fever blisters (cold sores).7
How to use honey to treat scabs effectively
It is very easy to use honey to get rid of scabs that are the result of blisters on your lips or wounds on your skin. This is what you should do:
- Apply enough honey to cover the scab.
- Continue applying the honey 3-4 times a day to help heal the scab quickly.
For treating wounds effectively, the best kind of honey to use is Manuka honey. This can also help prevent scarring from burns and other serious skin injuries. Manuka honey is also an effective natural remedy for shingles. Applying Manuka honey helps to get rid of scabs that have formed around your waist after a shingles infection.
Arnica (Arnica Montana) for Scabs
One fast way to heal a scab is to apply arnica cream on a wound to help moisten the scab and promote wound healing.
The University of Maryland reports that arnica has a wide use in treating various skin ailments. Arnica is a useful home remedy for skin issues such as wound healing, preventing bruising, and treating burns.8 Other studies have shown that arnica also helps to prevent skin irritation while wounds heal.9
How to use arnica for scab removal
Arnica creams can be purchased online or from your local health store. All you have to do is to apply the arnica remedy to the scab 2-3 times a day to help the scab disappear fast.
You should remember that arnica isn’t suitable for open wounds. So, you should wait until a scab appears before applying arnica to the crusted wound.
Vitamin K cream to help wounds heal faster
Vitamin K cream helps heal scabs fast and prevents excessive scarring from a serious skin injury.
Doctors from WebMD report that vitamin K has an important role in helping blood to clot. Topical vitamin K applications are used to prevent bruising, scarring, and promote skin healing.10
The Indian Journal of Pharmacology reported on a study into the effect of vitamin K on repairing damaged skin. It was found that vitamin K promoted the production of collagen and fibroblast cells which are necessary for wounds to heal properly. Also, the antioxidant properties of vitamin K can help to prevent infections while wounds are healing.11
You can buy creams containing vitamin K for wound healing online or from your local health store.
Comfrey
Comfrey has wound healing properties that can help to treat scabs that form over cuts and grazes.
A study in 2002 into the healing properties of comfrey preparations found that they promote the growth of healthy new cells. This powerful healing remedy for wounds can help to treat bruises, scabs, and inflammation that usually occurs as wounds are healing.12
To use comfrey to get rid of scabs quickly without leaving scars, you can buy comfrey preparations online or you can make your own healing comfrey ointment.
Calendula
Calendula ointment can help scabs from acne pimples to heal quicker and get rid of superficial scabs on your face, chest, or back.
Calendula extracts contain antiseptic properties that promote wound healing. The book Herbal Medicine reported on the effectiveness of calendula when treating skin disorders. Researchers have found that topical calendula ointments are effective for treating scabs, wounds, rashes, and symptoms of shingles.13
How to Prevent Scabs from Forming
It’s interesting to note that scabs don’t always form on wounds that are healing. In fact, if you dress wounds properly, it is often possible to prevent unsightly scabby crusts forming on the skin.
For example, the Journal of Tissue Viability reported that covering a wound with an air and water-tight dressing prevents scabs from forming. This is because the wound is kept moist and this prevents a scab developing on the healing wound.13
Frequently Asked Questions about Getting Rid of Scabs
Here are the answers to many questions that you might have about the best ways to get rid of scabs and prevent scarring.
Should you pick a scab to get rid of it?
No. Picking a scab to try and get rid of it quicker could result in opening the wound and causing bleeding. This could also allow germs to cause a secondary infection in the wound and may result in permanent scarring.
Is petroleum jelly good for getting rid of scabs?
Many dermatologists recommend applying petroleum jelly to keep the scab moist and help with healing. Doctors from the American Academy of Dermatology say that petroleum jelly prevents a wound from drying out and promotes healing time. This is because wounds with scabs don’t heal as quickly as those that have a moist dressing on them.15
However, there are many reasons not to use petroleum jelly on your skin. For natural and safer alternatives to petroleum jelly, you can use shea butter on your skin, coconut oil, almond oil, or jojoba oil for removing scabs naturally. These natural oils not only prevent wounds from drying out, but they contain nutrients to nourish your skin.
Should I use Neosporin on a scab?
Neosporin is an antibacterial ointment that is used to treat scabs. Neosporin helps to prevent germs getting into the wound and prevents scabs from forming. However, Neosporin isn’t a natural topical ointment.
A better natural alternative to Neosporin is using a homemade remedy of coconut oil and tea tree oil. As I already mentioned in this article, tea tree oil has proven antibacterial properties and is useful for healing skin.
Should a scab be moist or dry?
Wounds heal quicker if they are kept in a moist environment. Doctors from the American Academy of Dermatology say that you should apply a topical ointment and cover the skin with an adhesive bandage. This helps to accelerate healing and prevent scars from forming.15
Do you need to cover a scab or leave it uncovered to air it out?
According to Dr. Christi Cavaliere from the Cleveland Clinic, wounds with scabs should be covered to prevent air getting in. This ensures that new skin cells have the proper environment to grow and form a new layer of skin. Not letting your scab air out will also prevent dirt and bacteria causing an infection.16
How long do scabs take to heal?
Depending on the extent of the wound, the healing time of scabs may take between 3 days and a few weeks. Dr. William Blahd on WebMD says that small scrapes and scabs usually heal within 3 days to a week. Larger, deeper wounds may take 2 weeks or longer for the wound to heal completely and the scab to disappear.17
How to heal scabs overnight
Many people want to know if it’s possible for scabs to heal overnight. Unfortunately, it takes time for scabs to heal and go away completely. The natural home remedies for getting rid of scabs in this article will help to heal scabs quicker.
Read these related articles:
- The Best Essential Oils for Reducing Scars
- Why You Should Stop Using Petroleum Jelly On Your Skin
- 13 Ways to Use Honey For Your Health
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