You probably have a bottle of hand sanitizer in your desk drawer, your car console, and your purse. They’re great for killing germs on your hands anytime you need them. But is it safe to put hand sanitizer on a cut? Absolutely! It’s not just safe, but also beneficial. Hand sanitizer has properties that help heal cuts faster and prevent infection. That said, there are some precautions you should take if you plan to use hand sanitizer on a cut. In this blog post, we answer the question: Can you put hand sanitizer on a cut? Read on to know more.
Can You Put Hand Sanitizer On A Cut?
The answer is yes. As long as the cut is fresh, you can treat it with hand sanitizer. But there are a few caveats. You should only use 1% or 2% hydrogen peroxide, and you should do it right away. Don’t wait until the cut starts to bleed to get it cleaned up. You could end up doing more harm than good by waiting too long to treat the cut, so don’t wait.
What’s In Hand Sanitizer?
Hand sanitizers are mostly alcohol-based solutions. They are antimicrobial agents — i.e., they kill microbes in the environment. They contain 60 to 95% ethyl alcohol, which is the active antimicrobial agent. They also contain water, fragrance, and other ingredients that help the solution stay on your hands, act quickly and last longer. Most hand sanitizers contain ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, or a combination of both. Ethyl alcohol is the most commonly used alcohol in hand sanitizers. Its concentration in hand sanitizers can range from 60% to 95%. Ethyl alcohol is also present in mouthwash and antiseptics. Isopropyl alcohol is a colorless liquid with a strong odor. It is also called rubbing alcohol.
Why Is It Safe To Put Hand Sanitizer On A Cut?
- It is an antiseptic and kills germs, which could cause an infection.
- It dries up the wound quickly so that it heals faster.
- It doesn’t break down skin tissue, so it doesn’t increase your risk of getting an infection.
- Hand sanitizer has a very low pH level and isn’t considered irritating to the skin, so it doesn’t damage your skin or make you more susceptible to infections in the future.
- It also has moisturizing properties, which means it keeps your cut moisturized and prevents chapping of the cut or drying out of the cut area as well as dry skin around the cut area (this is important because chapped skin can harbor bacteria that can cause infection).
- Hand sanitizer is fast drying; however, it takes only a few minutes for alcohol to dry completely on your hands when you use hand sanitizer on cuts (it takes longer for other types of alcohols such as rubbing alcohol and isopropyl alcohol). If you put hand sanitizer on a cut immediately after cutting yourself with a sharp object, then you probably won’t have any problems with cuts turning into infected wounds. However, if you wait too long before putting hand sanitizer on a cut (more than 30 minutes), then there’s a chance that the wound will become infected because germs can start multiplying in wounds that are exposed to air for too long.
- Hand sanitizer is not a disinfectant and it doesn’t kill germs. However, it does kill the bacteria and germs that cause infection. So, if you put it on a cut, then you won’t get an infection from that cut.
- It doesn’t dry out the skin around your wound because alcohol doesn’t have drying properties and hand sanitizer is not considered an alcoholic.
- It also keeps your cut moisturized as mentioned above, which means that it will prevent chapping of the skin around your cut and dry skin around the area as well as dryness of your hands (caused by chapping).
- Hand sanitizer has moisturizing properties; so, it won’t make the surrounding area of your cut more susceptible to infection because hand sanitizer prevents dryness in surrounding areas of your cut by keeping them moist with its moisturizing properties (it also keeps other areas of your body moisturized).
- Hand sanitizer has disinfecting properties; so, if you put hand sanitizer on a cut right after cutting yourself with a sharp object (or any other object), then there’s no chance that there will be an infection in the wound because hand sanitizer kills germs on contact with alcohol (that is why most germicides use alcohol as their active ingredient).
- Hand Sanitizers are available in most drugstores.
Side Effects Of Hand Sanitizer
- It can dry out your cut, making it look worse.
- It can cause skin irritation.
- If you put too much hand sanitizer on a cut, it may get into the bloodstream and cause an infection.
- The alcohol in hand sanitizer is flammable, so if you get drunk and spill the stuff on yourself, you could burn yourself or set your clothes on fire.
- Hand sanitizer may contain ingredients that are toxic and harmful to human health when ingested or inhaled. You should not consume it or breathe it in directly, especially if you have a cut on your skin or any other part of your body that is susceptible to infection by germs like Staphylococcus Aureus (Staph).
- People with a history of liver or kidney problems or diabetes should not use hand sanitizer, as it can cause damage to their organs.
- Hand sanitizer contains acetone, which is a toxic substance that can cause headaches and dizziness. You should not apply it to your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- It is an irritant to the skin and may cause itchiness and redness if applied directly to the skin for too long periods of time.
- It may contain alcohol which may make you drunk if you inhale it in large amounts for a long period of time when you are intoxicated by alcohol.
- It may cause vomiting because of its strong smell.
- It is a skin irritant and can cause skin irritation, burns, and rashes if applied to sensitive areas like the eyes or mouth.
- It can cause dizziness, headaches, and nausea if applied to the eyes in large amounts for a long period of time.
- Hand sanitizer contains acetone, which is a toxic substance that can cause headaches and dizziness. You should not apply it to your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- It may contain alcohol which may make you drunk if you inhale it in large amounts for a long period of time when you are intoxicated by alcohol.
- Hand sanitizer contains acetone, which is a toxic substance that can cause headaches and dizziness. You should not apply it to your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Conclusion
A cut can be very painful and can cause infection if it’s not treated properly. You can disinfect a cut by applying hand sanitizer to it. You can also clean the cut with water if you have access to it. You must, however, be careful when applying hand sanitizer to a cut, because it can sting. Hand sanitizer is great for killing germs on your hands anytime you need them. Knowing the benefits of using hand sanitizer, you can keep your hands clean, healthy, and safe from infections.
