Jerry Haney, SCI Series, Skin Problems

I sincerely hope the information presented will be useful and help you and yours cope with this devastating injury.

If you do not find a subject shown here, please let me know and I will certainly try to research the information and present it on this website in continuing updates.

This important section is devoted to hygiene, and includes information and tips on daily and SCI specific hygiene, our skin and how to care for it, how to protect our skin from injury, suggestions for the alleviation and treatment of pressure sores, bladder and bowel programs.

This table provides a comprehensive look at skin problems that may occur and includes a detailed description of what you should see and what you can do to alleviate the problem.

Problem	You May See	You Need To

Blister	Watery or bloody liquid (fluid) that can be seen under the skin.	Do not pop. Keep pressure off of it. If caused by heat, apply ice water soaks immediately. Cover with dry bandage. Call health provider.

Boils	A reddened, tender swelling containing clear fluid.	Do not pop. Wash with mild soap twice a day. Call health provider.

Bruise	A blotchy, bluish-green discoloration of the skin.	Keep pressure off bruise until the color returns to normal.

Burn	Reddened or blistered skin caused by heat. May be an open sore.	Apply cold water soaks immediately, then keep dry. Do not pop blisters. Cover with dry bandage. Call health provider.

Frostbite	Whitened or bluish-black numb skin (usually nose, ears, fingers, toes) as a result of exposure to cold.	Gradually and gently re-warm. Cool, then lukewarm bottles or other heat sources may be used to re-warm frozen parts. Do NOT rub or massage. Do NOT use hot water. Call health provider.

Groin rash	Reddened area in groin and found in creases and / or all over groin and penis. May be moist and / or pimply.	Wash with mild soap water two to three times a day. Rinse and dry well. Spread legs to air dry. If not better in two to three days, call health provider.

Ingrown toenail	Reddened area around toenail, may have pus when pressed. Nail may be cutting into skin.	Soak in soapy water, wash foot well, rinse and dry. Cut toenail away from the open area. If it does not begin to heal in two to three days call health provider.

Open cuts and sores	A wound in or through the skin. Apply pressure if bleeding.	Wash with mild soap and water, rinse, dry. Apply bandage. Keep pressure off of sore. Call health provider if it is in an area of no feeling or if redness or pus is present.

Pimples	Small reddened sores with a pus head.	Do NOT pop. Wash twice a day with mild soap. Dry skin well. If pimples do not dry up, call health provider.

Pressure sores	A sore usually over a bony area. See pressure sores in hygiene.	Wash with mild soap, rinse, dry. Apply bandage, if sore is open. Keep all pressure off the sore. Call health provider.

Red area	Red skin that does not fade in 15 minutes. Does not blanch (turn white when pressure is applied to it).	Do not put pressure on it until the redness fades completely. May take days.

Sunburn	Dry, red skin with or without blisters, fever.	Apply cold water soaks to skin for comfort, then soothing creams. Do NOT pop blisters. Cover blisters with bandage.

Swelling	An abnormal enlargement or increase in size of body part, usually on arms or legs. May also have color change, red, black or blue.	Elevate the swollen part and wear compressive stockings.