*Stop the bleeding The sooner you can cover the wound and stem the blood flow, the easier the injury will be to deal with. To stop bleeding apply pressure that is firm and even – too much will cut off the circulation. Don’t keep checking to see if the blood has stopped; you might disturb the clotting/healing process. If there’s a lot of blood seeping through the padding you’re using, don’t remove the padding; cover it with another cloth or pad and continue to apply pressure.
*Clean it carefully Rinse under running water or wipe with cotton wool, from the centre of the injury outwards, to remove any grime. From time to time during the healing process make sure the wound is cleaned with a gentle saline solution. You can make one at home by putting two teaspoons of salt into a litre of boiling water and allowing this to cool. Or try using a rinse made of neat calendula mother tincture (or, if you prefer, one part tincture to 10 parts water).
*Use a natural antiseptic A good first choice is [[Echinacea ]] angustifolia which fights infection and also promotes healing. Others include calendula[[Calendula]], tea tree and [[Tea Tree]], [[lavender]], [[Helichrysum]], [[Chamomile]], [[Frankincense]] and [[Myrrh]].
*Supplement A poor diet in general can slow wound healing and essential fatty acid deficiencies are also associated with poor wound healing. Vitamin A helps to form scar tissue, B1 (thiamine) deficiency can interfere with collagen synthesis and B5 (pantothenic acid) accelerates the healing process. Vitamin C promotes the formation of collagen and elastin and deficiency can slow the healing process, vitamin E aids in the healing of skin grafts; zinc stimulates wound healing. Supplementary zinc also plays an important, but often overlooked, part in wound healing.
*Boost your protein intake Skin is made of protein and extra is required when you are injured. This is especially true for those undergoing an operation since surgery increases calorie and protein needs by 20% to 50%. Your body needs this to manufacture immune cells and antibodies, to reduce inflammation and to mend the wound at the site of incision. Without enough protein recovery may be delayed and the risk of infection is higher.