What is recommended – keeping the wound exposed or covered?
Keeping the wound covered helps in its healing faster. That is why a doctor covers the wound with a dressing. The dressing provides the right balance of moisture required for healing and enables the good bacteria to function and thus, disallow infection. The healing cells are also able to cover the wound with new smooth tissue faster. Covering a wound also reduces the chance of scarring. This is because it helps prevent scabbing. The earlier belief was to let a wound be exposed to the air and allow a scab to form. But this scab actually slows the healing process. And on falling off, it leaves a visible mark.
