Avoid touching your wound if you aren’t able to wash your hands since you could risk getting an infection.

Taking a bath softens scar tissue and makes it more likely your wound will reopen, so stick with showers or sponge baths. [6] X Research source

Rubbing your wound dry could cause the incision to open up again.

This is especially important if you had stitches on your knees, elbows, hands, or chin. Bandages also stop your clothes from rubbing against your wound and prevent irritation. Apply an ointment or petroleum jelly to the scar before you apply a bandage to help speed up healing.

The petroleum jelly prevents a scab from forming, which could make your healing time even longer.

If you don’t use protection from the sun, then your scar might have red or brown discoloration. If your wound is on your head or face, you might be able to cover it with a large sun hat. Covering your scar from the sun minimizes permanent skin discoloration around your scar.

Only press down until you feel slight pressure. If you feel any pain, ease up so you don’t hurt yourself. After about a month, you can start massaging your scar from all directions.

There haven’t been many studies on vitamin E for scar prevention, so you may not notice any improvement from it. [14] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Stop using vitamin E if it causes itching or a rash.

Continually using acetaminophen can damage your liver. Avoid taking ibuprofen or naproxen since it could increase bleeding. Follow the dosage instructions on the box so you don’t exceed the maximum daily intake.

Avoid putting ice directly on your skin or keeping it there longer than 20 minutes since it could damage your skin.

Your wound will feel tender as well, so be careful not to bump or hit it against anything. Even though yoga and stretching might be low-intensity, it can also pull at your wound and cause it to split open.

You can clean up blood around your wound right away with a clean bandage or piece of gauze.

Your doctor will usually recommend antibiotic ointment that might not even require a prescription.