In the 1960s my sister suffered some abrasion that involved a hospital call.
The hospital sprayed something on her arm that stung, briefly, and formed a breathable skin that allowed healing without scars.
My Dad took note of the brand and always kept some in the medicine cabinet. It was pretty well the same stuff as ’Newskin’
The same sister tells me that the hospital still uses the same type of thing.
Now, my dad was a first aid man in the Coventry blitz and my sister has recently retired from a lifetime as a nurse. My Mum had been a nurse when she met my Dad. So I grew up in a medically-aware family.
My Mum never forgot the day she caught my sister scrubbing a graze with a scrubbing brush when she was about 5 years old!
Just as K’Tesh’s link says – scrub it clean, dry it (with air) and apply a breathable covering to keep out infection. Do it regularly until healed completely or scarring may result.
My ‘quick and dirty’ solution (that also stings!) is to pour neat TCP on to kill ALL infection, rinse clean and dry before applying ‘Newskin’ . . . This system has worked without scars on all abrasions I have remembered to use it on It requires some courage as everything will sting or worse but not as sore as an infection
No water on open cuts unless you’re sure the water is clean (bottled, properly filtered, etc). Never use water from streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, etc. It may contain bacteria, algae, and other nasty stuff.
British mains tap water has been proved to be more pure than most of the bottled water on sale.
That test put me off using ‘Volvic’ when I saw it was one of the worst offenders!
I must add that despite that, Volvic was better than many other sources…
So I have got used to trusting our tap water. I have been warned in both Germany and France not to drink tap water in Hotels as it often comes from a tank and bugs may have been breeding in same tank!
AdamDZ’z warning is sound though as we cannot rely on many water sources.
I once got a case of ‘Mexican Tummy’ (Name the country of choice by using an old Volvic bottle, filling it with tap water in the morning and driving one hot day – the contents got warm and probably incubated some bug I transferred from my mouth when gulping I had the trots for days after!
So I suggest that using a water bottle without a non-return valve on our bikes may suffer the same fate – be warned…
There is another fluid that can be used, although most people would baulk a little at the idea of using it except in extreme situations. However, it is readily available, comes at a comfortable temperature, is easily directed (certainly by ½ the population, and statistically perhaps rather more than that for racing cyclists), and having been ultra-filtrated is normally sterile. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/cfx794v
In extremis, urine is a sterile liquid that can be used to flush wounds. This is also a good way of finding out who your real friends are.
As for that “spray on skin” stuff, first time I used it I was warned that it “smarts a little”. Experience has shown that this is on the same scale as pouring neat bleach onto a wound (Most. Painful. Ever.), and I’ll never use it unless it’s the only alternative left.
Much better are hydrocolloid wound dressings. These have a plastic backing to support some sort of gel that you apply to the wound. Leave in place for three days and peel off to reveal raw, open flesh. Apply a second dressing, and when you peel this one off, the wound has skinned over. Unlike the spray-on skin, the plastic backing of the hydrocolloid dressings is tough enough to insulate you from regular abrasions from things like your jeans wrinkling up over the wound when you sit down.
Well, that probably answers all those “how can he see with that cap” questions.
Such a Terminator (exact type yet unknown) surely also has various infrared, radar etc. scanning/navigational devices. Just remember yesterday – the distance from which he noticed the dented fender was extraordinary! Come to think of it… that would shed some light on even more of yesterday’s events. Idle just isn’t listed in the operational system among the “targets of concern” (so, no matter how sweetly she waves her arms around…) while bicycles, of course, have a #1. priority.
By the way, today’s “first” contest may have a special flavour: who’s gonna be the first to bring up the h word? ) (Not me).
Well, you know… head injury? … no, that’s not the one.
However, I consider the result quite interesting. “The word” didn’t show up yesterday… while on other occasions, even much less is needed to trigger its appearance (+/- heated discussions).
His shirt is damaged on the right hand side, his face on the left – dreams are well known to lack ‘logic’ as they are following the ideas in our brain, not depicting an artist’s accurate observation of life. Well done Rick for giving us that clue before revealing Fred and his comment
Just wonder if Rick saw the leaked photos of the guy that the junkie in Florida was chewing on earlier this week, and that’s what prompted this sort of illustration.
Years ago someone told me he still had bits of gravel growing out from his side where he had crashed on a track (Herne Hill maybe?). The standard practice was for the first aid crews to offer to remove it — with a stiff brush. The guy I was having a conversation with said he was in a big pile up and heard the screams of the others as the gravel was brushed out and bottled it.
Here in the US if you get a good hospital and have the good kind of insurance after the numb you and clean the road rash they use a plastic bandage that’s waterproof but breathable and transparent (to monitor for infection). It also leaves no scars and you just leave it on until it falls off of its own accord. Don’t try to remove it, because that WILL leave a scar.
Ewww….
Road Rash, how to treat it… http://bikeportland.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1599
Surely Real(tm) cyclists just treat it with contempt. Otherwise good advice K’Tesh
TruCyclists® follow the adage that skin can grow back but components can’t, and behave accordingly.
Also – in the UK I found ‘Germoline New Skin’
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Germolene-New-Skin-20ml/dp/B001PMPXT0
Be warned – it stings!
In the 1960s my sister suffered some abrasion that involved a hospital call.
It requires some courage as everything will sting or worse but not as sore as an infection 
The hospital sprayed something on her arm that stung, briefly, and formed a breathable skin that allowed healing without scars.
My Dad took note of the brand and always kept some in the medicine cabinet. It was pretty well the same stuff as ’Newskin’
The same sister tells me that the hospital still uses the same type of thing.
Now, my dad was a first aid man in the Coventry blitz and my sister has recently retired from a lifetime as a nurse. My Mum had been a nurse when she met my Dad. So I grew up in a medically-aware family.
My Mum never forgot the day she caught my sister scrubbing a graze with a scrubbing brush when she was about 5 years old!
Just as K’Tesh’s link says – scrub it clean, dry it (with air) and apply a breathable covering to keep out infection. Do it regularly until healed completely or scarring may result.
My ‘quick and dirty’ solution (that also stings!) is to pour neat TCP on to kill ALL infection, rinse clean and dry before applying ‘Newskin’ . . . This system has worked without scars on all abrasions I have remembered to use it on
No water on open cuts unless you’re sure the water is clean (bottled, properly filtered, etc). Never use water from streams, creeks, rivers, lakes, etc. It may contain bacteria, algae, and other nasty stuff.
British mains tap water has been proved to be more pure than most of the bottled water on sale.
That test put me off using ‘Volvic’ when I saw it was one of the worst offenders!
I must add that despite that, Volvic was better than many other sources…
So I have got used to trusting our tap water. I have been warned in both Germany and France not to drink tap water in Hotels as it often comes from a tank and bugs may have been breeding in same tank!
by using an old Volvic bottle, filling it with tap water in the morning and driving one hot day – the contents got warm and probably incubated some bug I transferred from my mouth when gulping 
I had the trots for days after!
AdamDZ’z warning is sound though as we cannot rely on many water sources.
I once got a case of ‘Mexican Tummy’ (Name the country of choice
So I suggest that using a water bottle without a non-return valve on our bikes may suffer the same fate – be warned…
There is another fluid that can be used, although most people would baulk a little at the idea of using it except in extreme situations. However, it is readily available, comes at a comfortable temperature, is easily directed (certainly by ½ the population, and statistically perhaps rather more than that for racing cyclists), and having been ultra-filtrated is normally sterile. Details here: http://tinyurl.com/cfx794v
In extremis, urine is a sterile liquid that can be used to flush wounds. This is also a good way of finding out who your real friends are.
As for that “spray on skin” stuff, first time I used it I was warned that it “smarts a little”. Experience has shown that this is on the same scale as pouring neat bleach onto a wound (Most. Painful. Ever.), and I’ll never use it unless it’s the only alternative left.
Much better are hydrocolloid wound dressings. These have a plastic backing to support some sort of gel that you apply to the wound. Leave in place for three days and peel off to reveal raw, open flesh. Apply a second dressing, and when you peel this one off, the wound has skinned over. Unlike the spray-on skin, the plastic backing of the hydrocolloid dressings is tough enough to insulate you from regular abrasions from things like your jeans wrinkling up over the wound when you sit down.
The Article missed one important component on treating road rash…
A kiss on the bo bo always makes it feel better!!!
Well, that probably answers all those “how can he see with that cap” questions.
Such a Terminator (exact type yet unknown) surely also has various infrared, radar etc. scanning/navigational devices. Just remember yesterday – the distance from which he noticed the dented fender was extraordinary! Come to think of it… that would shed some light on even more of yesterday’s events. Idle just isn’t listed in the operational system among the “targets of concern” (so, no matter how sweetly she waves her arms around…) while bicycles, of course, have a #1. priority.
By the way, today’s “first” contest may have a special flavour: who’s gonna be the first to bring up the h word?
) (Not me).
Well, somebody has to ask and I suppose it might just as well be me ….. *WHAT* h-word??
Well, you know… head injury? … no, that’s not the one.
However, I consider the result quite interesting. “The word” didn’t show up yesterday… while on other occasions, even much less is needed to trigger its appearance (+/- heated discussions).
Oh – THAT H-word….
His shirt is damaged on the right hand side, his face on the left – dreams are well known to lack ‘logic’ as they are following the ideas in our brain, not depicting an artist’s accurate observation of life. Well done Rick for giving us that clue before revealing Fred and his comment
Oh, obviously you just haven’t biffed it hard enough. I’ve had wrecks where I’ve had road rash on multiple sides of my body!
Just wonder if Rick saw the leaked photos of the guy that the junkie in Florida was chewing on earlier this week, and that’s what prompted this sort of illustration.
Pass the salt & pepper
… and ketchup
I believe you mean patient 0… zombie apocalypse is upon us!
Eww…
Good to see Yehuda’s eyes again!
Years ago someone told me he still had bits of gravel growing out from his side where he had crashed on a track (Herne Hill maybe?). The standard practice was for the first aid crews to offer to remove it — with a stiff brush. The guy I was having a conversation with said he was in a big pile up and heard the screams of the others as the gravel was brushed out and bottled it.
From the age of 9 to 13 I had bits of gravel growing out of my chin and lips. Strangely enough, I didn’t have a girlfriend in those years…
Here in the US if you get a good hospital and have the good kind of insurance after the numb you and clean the road rash they use a plastic bandage that’s waterproof but breathable and transparent (to monitor for infection). It also leaves no scars and you just leave it on until it falls off of its own accord. Don’t try to remove it, because that WILL leave a scar.