Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Cuts and grazes

Cuts and grazes are among the most common of all injuries and most are not serious. They usually only cause problems if they get infected.

A graze (or abrasion) is an injury to the skin in which skin is scraped off by rubbing against a rough surface. Some grazes only take off the surface layer of skin leaving a raw tender area underneath, some are much deeper. In rare cases the whole thickness of the skin may be removed in some places. Falls, scrapes and friction burns can all cause grazes.

A cut is a tear in the skin. The injury is usually caused by a sharp edge of some kind and some cuts are more serious than others. Paper cuts, accidental nicks with a razor and stab wounds are all types of cut. The medical name for a cut is a laceration.

Both cuts and grazes can get things embedded (stuck) in them such as gravel.

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