The skin’s external location makes it susceptible to a number of wounds and injuries. These include:

• Cuts (injuries that result in a break or opening in the skin)
  
  
• Lacerations (a jagged and irregular type of cut produced by the tearing of soft body tissue)
  
  
• Scratches (minor injuries that result from sharp objects scraping along the skin)
  
  
• Abrasions (scrapes that result from the skin being rubbed away)
  
  
• Puncture wounds (wounds that occur when a pointed object pierces the skin)

Although many of these wounds are minor and heal quickly without complications, some wounds can lead to extensive blood loss or an infection or injury to deeper structures (e.g., nerves, tendons, blood vessels). Complications may also result from foreign material remaining inside a wound.

In order to prevent complications, people should take the proper first aid steps when treating cuts or other types of common wounds. Proper first aid includes controlling the bleeding, cleaning the wound, applying a topical antibiotic ointment, covering the wound, and frequently changing the bandages.

More serious wounds, such as those with jagged edges or edges that gape open, may require more extensive treatment. In order to heal properly, these types of wounds often need to be sewn shut by a physician (stitches). In some cases, a skin adhesive may be used to “glue” the edges of the wound together.