How to Take Care of Skinned Knees

Overview

Parents everywhere stock their medicine cabinets each year in anticipation of one of the most universal hazards of being a kid --- getting skinned knees. Most cases of skinned knees are superficial wounds and do not require professional medical attention. Taking steps to clean your child's scrapes will greatly reduce the risk of infection as you send him back outside to play.

Step 1

Apply firm pressure to the skinned knee area to stop the bleeding, if the bleeding continues a few minutes after the injury. Use a damp washcloth or another clean, soft cloth. Rough materials such as paper towels may be too abrasive and cause more pain.

Step 2

Wash the scrapes gently with cool water and a soft washcloth. Dab, rather than rub, to prevent the skinned knees from beginning to bleed again.

Step 3

Remove any foreign matter that does not wash off, such as small pebbles, with a pair of tweezers. Sterilize the tweezers with rubbing alcohol before using them on skinned knees. Work slowly and gently to minimize discomfort.

Step 4

Cover the scraped areas of the knees with an antibiotic ointment, a first aid tool widely available at pharmacies and mass merchandisers. The ointment will not take away the pain or heal the wound, but helps prevent infection.

Step 5

Cover knee scrapes with bandages to keep dirt out. Choose bandages that are made from a flexible fabric-like material that allows for freer movement while running and jumping. Replace the bandages when they become dirty.

Step 6

Check the healing progress of skinned knees every day. As scabs begin to form, bandages will no longer be necessary. Minor scrapes usually heal within a couple of days. Contact a doctor if the skinned knee area becomes red, oozes pus or if a fever develops. These are signs that may indicate infection.