Rubbing Alcohol or Hydrogen Peroxide on cuts and scrapes?
 

Rubbing alcohol hurts much more than hydrogen peroxide... does this mean it's better to use?

Thanks for the responces.

both bad
 

Actually they are both bad.

The cells that repair your cut are annihilated by peroxide and alcohol. Just make sure the wound is clean,,,,flush out any debris that might be in there.

Then keep it clean and apply an antibiotic ointment if you feel you absolutely must do something.

I personally like hydrogen peroxide for superficial wounds. It sort of cauterizes the surface tissue and prevent infection once properly cleaned. But then, I'm one of those that still believes mecuricrome (spelling?) works well on the same type of cuts. When I use both I never get an infection, the wound heals quickly and there is little scaring. Neosporin sometmies allows me to get an infection.

how do you know this to be true? the cells that repair the cut are brought to the wound over time, so wouldn't it make sense to kill as many infectious agents in the beginning, even if this means losing a few of your own cells, in preparation for the repairs to come?

in any case, i've had positive experiences (no scarring, no infection) the many times I've been superficially injured ("It's only a flesh wound.") and used each sequentially.

yep, I use both, interchangeably. No problems to report here. Although, the Hydrogen Peroxide can cause your hair to bleach if you use on your forehead etc...

Hydrogen Per Oxide- light duty for the old "this might be infected" set.

91%Alcohol(Isopropyl) for the "This is gonna hurt but I wanna live" set.

what IS the difference between "wood" and "rubbing" anyway ?

That's a great question to ask!!

By the way, for the previous post...I thnk you get wood from rubbing. Heh, heh!

Isopropyl alcohol ("rubbing" alcohol) is an antiseptic and will sanitize your cut. No, it does not "annihilate cells" that would help you recover. The only thing that helps you recover are platelets which are found in your blood anyways.

Hydrogen peroxide when in contact with blood, will product pure water and oxygen which will help you clean the cut, but not disinfect the wound.

I would use the hydrogen peroxide first to clean the cut, and then apply the alcohol (isopropyl or ethanol works) to sanitize the cut, then apply a bandage. Now let your body do its natural work to form the scab over a clean wound.

I sold first aid for a while, and we never suggested either. We suggested cleaning the wound with an antimicrobial cleaner, then applying an antibiotic ointment, then a bandaid. You could use the alcohol around the wound, to help the bandage stick better. Peroxide and alcohol to clean wounds isn't the best, since neither kill the germs. Always apply an antibiotic ointment, helps the wound heal faster, and kills germs.

I don't know...I still like forming a scab (like soccar), which is the body's natural way to deal with a wound. Guess that's why I don't like the ointments as much. HP followed by some mecuricrome (spelling again) leads to a scab.

But my caveat is that is my old school way of this sort of thing. It just always worked, and I mean always.

Prefer alcohol because the pain makes me feel like it is working. Peroxide just bubbles and feels cold.

Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is an antiseptic. You know the water-free, hand sanitizer? All that is is alcohol, fragrance, and thickeners so it is a gel and not a liquid. In short, yes, alcohol does kill germs. Hydrogen peroxide, however, does not. All that does is form pure O2 and H20 but it does clean the wound.

Both are effective disinfectants.
Alcohol is indiscriminate, while H2O2 will be more damaging to bacteria than your own cells at low concentrations (See: peroxisome for starter info). The bubbing action will also help clean the wound and some cranks claim the oxygenation speeds healing.

Consider that you're comparing a 70-90% alcohol solution to a 3-6% hydrogen peroxide solution. A 3-6% alcohol solution will be, for the most part, indistinguishable from water. A 70-90% peroxide soution will possibly cause your cut or scrape to burst into flame (especially if you'd just put 70-90% alcohol solution on it).

I'd recommend the peroxide as it's less painful and more fun to watch.

Bump to all that, especially the last part!

I first learned of HP when I was about 10. I used to run in flip flops and stub my big toe. You can imagine what that was like. After running water through the flap of skin, my grandmother would hit it with HP. Wow, those bubbles hurt for a second and then all went away. Then she dried my toe and doused it with mecuricrome. I was back in action.

I think watching those bubbles go to work took my mind off my hurting toe!

The most recent evidence does indeed suggest you use neither as they damange the expose tissue (at least the last I read). It may prevent an infection yes, but in turn it still damages the cells that are in the wound.

Clean it with soap and water, then use an antibiotic ointment such as Neo- or Poly-sporin.

povidone-iodine is the best stuff for cleaning wounds. My mom is a nurse and uses this stuff. Hydrogen peroxide is only supposed to be used to flush out wounds and get all the shit that isn't supposed to be there out. Povidone-iodine is commercially sold as Betadine solution ( thats the name brand stuff) while Wal-mart has their own brand that's half the price. And this stuff really doesn't hurt either, which is good. And it's what the hospitals use, so it's gotta be good. And I noticed I like to start sentences with and a lot. Anyway, stop screwing around with rubbing alcohol and go get some Betadine or generic povidone-iodine solution. It's 5 bucks for a bottle of the generic stuff, but it's worth not getting infections.

Just want to add, if anyone is allergic to shellfish, do NOT use this-it's the iodine in shellfish that causes the reaction and, depending on your allergy, you can go into anaphylactic(sp) shock. In this case, peroxide is what should be used.( make sure if you have to go to the ER or take someone there, this and all allergies are revealed)

I have just spent more than an hour on Google looking at a vast amount of forums just like this one trying to figure out what's what when it comes to hydrogen peroxide vs. alcohol. As we can see right here in this thread, there are a lot of varying opinions on this matter, and most of them conflict. :rolleyes: So if you are reading this thread as a result of a Google search, then you are probably as frustrated as I am right about now.

This being the case, I would like to thank "orangemonkeyee" for taking the time to answer this question. That answer appears to be the most accurate one. Also, kudos to "ngdawg" for adding that important point about allergies.

Here is what I have gathered that seems to be a good synopsis:

Use iodine to clean and disinfect the wound, and possibly neosporin or polysporin for extra antibiotic protection. If you have a lot of crud in the wound, then you might want to use hydrogen peroxide to clean that out prior to applying iodine. If you don't have iodine, and you're not comfortable just using soap and water, then use hydrogen peroxide to clean the wound and alcohol to disinfect.

Do I have that right? Looks like it!

Wood alcohol is methanol, CH3OH
Rubbing alcohol is isopropyl alcohol, CH(CH3)2OH
Just a minor chemical difference, they have quite similar macroscopic properties and for the purpose of cleaning wounds can be considered essentially the same.
For comparison drinking alcohol is ethanol, CH3CH2OH, which also has similar properties but happens to be much less toxic.

I just use soap and water and that usually works well for me. My grandmother used to get these horrific infections on cuts and scrapes she didn't clean properly and didn't tell anyone about until they actually got really infected; I used a aromatherapy mix that I keep in my first aid kit at all times:

In a cup of warm (not hot) water put
3 drops Myrrh essential oil
3 drops Lavender essential oil
3 drops Geranium essential oil

Agitate with a piece of gauze, and the place gauze on the affected area for about 10 minutes. Repeat 3 or 4 times a day depending on the level of infection.

When you use this you can actually see the redness of the infection receeding and my grandmother would be virtually healed within one week of using this (usually less).

Blessings!
Duskwynd

I use witch hazel rather than rubbing alcohol. It heals better for me.

I like to put peroxide in my ears. It's a rush.

if it's messy and still bleeding, hydrogen peroxide first, then alcohol. A lot of the time, alcohol is handy so I will use that to kill all the bacteria and disinfect the wound.

i'm allergic to iodine, so i default to peroxide first.
if it continues to look red and yuck after an hour or two, i'll do a quick swab with alcohol.
and then let it alone with antibiotic ointment and a bandaid if needed.


however, should you end up tripping over a stick, embedding it in between the nail bed and the cuticle of your big toe... don't screw around, just go to the doctor. MRSA and an effed up toenail are not worth it.

Just for the record, research shows that a 40% w/w solution of Isopropanol in water is the best antibacterial, rather than a 90% one.

IPA has a need to bind to water molecules, and each gram of alcohol needs one and a half grams of water to satisfy its need for spare electron density.

This amount of water means that the alcohol can get into bacterial cells and disrupt their aqueous and lipid chemistry, whereas very pure IPA can only affect lipid chemistry.

It will also prevent the burning sensation a little, as it calms the tendency to dehydrate the tissue in the wound.

What the Mayo Clinic says...
 

Rinse out the wound with clear water. Soap can irritate the wound, so try to keep it out of the actual wound. If dirt or debris remains in the wound after washing, use tweezers cleaned with alcohol to remove the particles. If debris still remains, see your doctor.

Thorough cleaning reduces the risk of infection and tetanus. To clean the area around the wound, use soap and a washcloth. There's no need to use hydrogen peroxide, iodine or an iodine-containing cleanser.

Apply an antibiotic. After you clean the wound, apply a thin layer of an antibiotic cream or ointment such as Neosporin or Polysporin to help keep the surface moist. The products don't make the wound heal faster, but they can discourage infection and help your body's natural healing process. Certain ingredients in some ointments can cause a mild rash in some people. If a rash appears, stop using the ointment.

Cover the wound. Bandages can help keep the wound clean and keep harmful bacteria out. After the wound has healed enough to make infection unlikely, exposure to the air will speed wound healing.

Change the dressing. Change the dressing at least daily or whenever it becomes wet or dirty. If you're allergic to the adhesive used in most bandages, switch to adhesive-free dressings or sterile gauze held in place with paper tape, gauze roll or a loosely applied elastic bandage. These supplies generally are available at pharmacies.

Get stitches for deep wounds. A wound that is more than 1/4-inch (6 millimeters) deep or is gaping or jagged edged and has fat or muscle protruding usually requires stitches. Adhesive strips or butterfly tape may hold a minor cut together, but if you can't easily close the wound, see your doctor as soon as possible. Proper closure within a few hours reduces the risk of infection.

Watch for signs of infection. See your doctor if the wound isn't healing or you notice any redness, increasing pain, drainage, warmth or swelling.

Get a tetanus shot. Doctors recommend you get a tetanus shot every 10 years. If your wound is deep or dirty and your last shot was more than five years ago, your doctor may recommend a tetanus shot booster. Get the booster as soon as possible after the injury.

I have nothing to add but that Mecurachrome (and methylaid sp?) bring back some wonderfully painful childhood memories lol I havent thought about that stuff in years...along with Bactine

No idea how to spell it either, but I remember Mythylaid and Bactine too.

But I wanted to comment that I *believe* mecuricrome is no longer available as it contained mercury and was banned by the FDA. Unless it has been reformulated and put back on the market.

My questions are, 1. Should I keep a wound bandaged 24/7? Semi serious wounds like ~2nd degree burns where some skin sloughs off seems like they should dry out a few times a day. 2. Should scabs be softly washed away once a week or so? My wounds seem to heal faster if I don't let the scab get too rock hard.