A lot of recent medical advice says that hydrogen peroxide in first aid is counterproductive. Of course, what I’m about to say is one person’s anecdote. But I find that if I just leave the occasional cut or scrape alone or wash it with soap and water, it’ll tend to get a bit inflamed (very locally) and hypersensitive, which is very annoying when it’s on my hands. On the other hand, If I just rinse it out and slather some H2O2 on the wound, it kind of chemically “cauterizes” the wound, prevents irritation later on, and heals just as well.
Am I just doing it wrong, or does anyone else find that hydrogen peroxide is good on minor wounds, despite recent medical findings? I don’t mean to cast doubt on legitimate medical research, but I’d like to understand why H2O2 seems to work for me when research says it should be counterproductive.
Maybe this should go in no stupid questions, but I’m curious to hear the explanation too. Am I just outdated? I thought every good home first aid kit should have a bottle.
Simply put, it’s not a very effective antiseptic, isn’t more effective for wound cleansing than running water, and further damages the tissue, impairing healing.
Here’s an article about it impairing healing:
https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/its-time-to-get-hydrogen-peroxide-out-of-your-medicine-cabinet