I’ve been having this debate with someone who is a bit of a germaphobe in my view.

Say I have a paper cut on my finger. It’s deep enough to bleed initially, but it stops within a couple minutes. Maybe I need a bandaid at first, but after a day or 2, it is past the point where it starts bleeding again if I accidentally hit it or rub it on something. A couple days on, it still has the little flap of skin on it. Later, that goes away, but you can still see where it was. Finally, there is no trace. At what point in this process is the wound effectively closed?

When can you resume normal activities (dish washing, food prep, go in a pool/hot tub, have a dog lick your hand) and not worry about infection?

  • ramble81@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    Wounds heal from the inside out. Once bleeding stops it means that it is effectively “closed” as the inside is no longer leaking out. The rest of that is just the layers of skin repairing itself from the bottom to the top.

    So as others have said, when it stops bleeding is when it’s “closed”.

  • logicbomb@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    If your friend is actually a germaphobe, then just because something is safe, that doesn’t mean they won’t worry about infection.

      • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        A phobia is an unusually high level of salience applied to the fear generated by an object.

        It has nothing to do with an inability to see logic.

        A germophobe is extremely motivated to avoid germs. In the service of that mission they are perfectly capable of seeing and using logic.

        • conciselyverbose@kbin.social
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          11 months ago

          A phobia is defined by being irrational.

          Simply being terrified isn’t a phobia if you have a valid reason to be terrified.

        • Usernameblankface@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Hmm. So a germaphobe could learn that there aren’t germs on a particular surface or watch it be thoroughly cleaned, and that help them feel better. But, I could not convince them that a surface that is known to have germs is harmless.

          Am I understanding this right?

  • mommykink@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    A wound is open for as long as it’s bleeding. For something like a papercut, this should be just a few minutes for most healthy adults. If you mess with the scab, the wound can be re-opened, though.

    when can you resume normal activities

    As long as you’re not actively bleeding and take the smallest precautions (wear a bandaid), you should be able to resume these within minutes

    • lillardfair@lemmy.worldOP
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      11 months ago

      Thanks, this is how I’ve always operated, but the person I’ve debated this with is so entrenched it makes me wonder if I’ve just been sloppy and getting lucky.

      • illi@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        Curious what your friend thinks on this topic, actually

  • Mamertine@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Normal activities for a paper cut? I’d you don’t have a compromised immune system, Live your life once you’re done bleeding. Exceptions for sticking your hand in raw sewage.

  • Kalash@feddit.ch
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    11 months ago

    I’d consider it closed once it’s clotted.

    When can you resume normal activities

    After a papercut? Immediately.