Minimise Scarring – How to Stop Children Picking at Scabs

Every parent knows from experience that children are incredibly prone to minor scrapes and injuries. As they play and explore the world around them, it's not uncommon to pick up a few scars along the way. And while you cannot always avoid these minor scrapes, what you can do is ensure that the wounds heal in the proper way, with minimal wound scarring.

For kids, picking at the dry scabs on their knees and elbows is one of the most satisfying things to do. But this reopens the wound, putting it at a risk for infection. As parents, it is up to you to run interventions for your child’s skin-picking habits and minimize the wound scarring. Here are 3 simple tips on how you can do this:

The best way to reduce scars and stop a child from picking at scabs is to cover the wound up with a wound plaster. You can pick wound plasters that are colourful or have fun patterns so that your kid is not tempted to peel the plaster off.

Kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for. Turn storytime informative by clueing your kids in on how skin picking causes the wound to reopen and why that is bad for their bodies.

Sometimes your child might be scratching at a scab simply because it is itchy. Using some lotion around the scab can put a stop to itchiness and prevent your child from scratching at the wound.

The more times a wound reopens after scabbing over, the more likely it is to leave a scar. So use these tips wisely to minimize wound scarring and ensure your kid’s safety from infections.