Post surgery care: what's important and what's not

When it comes to caring for our skin after surgery, there are certainly things we should do, things we shouldn't do and then a bigger list of things that probably don't matter much. A large portion of post-operative care is supporting the body to do what it knows how to do. Simply leaving the body body alone, remarkable things will happen. 

Things to do after surgery:

• Keep the wound clean
• Keep tension off the wound
• Keep the incision moist (but not so much so that the skin becomes macerated)
• Gently cleanse to avoid crusting. Usually a 1:1 ratio of water and hydrogen peroxide is good for gentle wound care
• Apply topical anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant compounds
• After the wound is healed, massage the scar tissue
• Use SPF sunscreen when exposed to excessive sunlight such as sunbathing or prolonged sun exposure.  
• Maintain good nutrition

Things to avoid:

• Allowing the wound to become too dry
• Picking at the wound
• Overuse of the area until healed (time varies on the area of the body)
• Excessive sun exposure. UV rays damage skin as well as cause discoloration
• Not treating broken skin with antibiotic ointments