An unpleasant encounter with a kitchen knife. An embarrassing stumble during your daily constitutional. A too-close shave with a razor blade. All manner of everyday activities can leave you with the unkindest cut or scrape of all. No matter how thick-skinned you are, these minor injuries hurt. Their small size often belies the pain they can cause. Still, you probably won't win much sympathy for your agony when what you are sure is a mortal wound turns out to be nothing more than a paper cut. Actually, any pain you experience is a good thing. It reminds you to take care of that cut or scrape proto. And that is important, because any open wound even a small one is an open invitation to infection caused by bacteria.



Here are some ways you can consider to help you to speed your healing process and to relieve any discomfort.

Stem the flow. Compression not only stops the bleeding but also helps reduce the pain. It is recommended applying firm pressure directly over the injury with a clean cloth for 5 to 10 minutes. The blocked blood flow exerts pressure on the pain fibers, so you feel pressure rather than pain.

Keep it clean. Flush a cut or scrape with running water to help remove the dirt and debris. Cleansing the wound is vital to reduce the risk of infection.

Do not forget to dress. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the cut or scrape, then cover it with an adhesive bandage or a piece of gauze. Besides, keeping the wound clean and protected, the dressing is also likely to ease pain. It will remind you that the cut or scrape is there, so you are less likely to bump it. Leave the wound uncovered at night so that it can breathe.

Say hello to aloe. An old standby as a treatment for burns, aloe vera is great first-aid for cuts and scrapes as well. The cool, colorless gel seals off the wound, relieves the pain, and speeds healing. Simply break a leaf off an aloe vera plant and squeeze the leaf's contents onto your cut or scrape. Apply the gel three or four times a day for maximum benefit.

Go krazy. The neatest thing in the world for a paper cut is an instant glue such as Krazy Glue. Apply it directly to the cut twice a day. It immediately seals off the cut and stops the air from hitting the nerve endings, which is what causes the pain. If you don't happen to have the glue on hand or if you are wary of using it, try petroleum jelly instead. It protects exposed skin tissue from the air and the moisture helps new tissue to grow.

Hands off. Once a cut or scrape forms a scab, leave it alone. Besides being painful, picking away a scab is picking away protection. A scab's nature's way of putting a dressing on a wound, if you pick at it, the wound may reopen, and the healing process will have to start all over again.