A former roommate of mine was a chef and consequently cut himself frequently, and seomtimes deeply. He swore on a combination of Neosporin (for infection) and super glue. The super glue helps the outer layer of skin to join so that the healing can happen from the inside-out...which is what is supposed to happen.

Difficulty in healing skin might point to a weakened immune system. What's the state of your overall health?

Unfortunately my overall health is not that good right now.. I had an IUD inserted and it gave me an infection in my uterus... so I have been on 3 courses of antibiotics 2 days before the bike accident. My tongue is also coated white, which I think points to the weakend immune system and possible infection in my body.

I don't think I can use the super glue thing though as the skin is clean off my arm.. nothing to glue together!

Anyway, I guess i should continue to take my probiotics and get my immune system up.

I was just interested in knowing how long skin typically takes to grow back on a deep wound.

Paula

Aha. The white tongue can indicate thrush, which is an overgrowth of candida albicans, an naturally occuring yeast that is present in the intestines. When we take strong doses of antibiotics, the medicine kills both bad and GOOD flora and creates an environment for thrush to develop and grow.

For a second degree instance of road rash , it will take 7-14 days to heal with a new layer of skin. Here are some other tips for treating the wound:

Use a semipermeable dressing (Tegaderm, Bioclusive or Second Skin, for instance) to cover the wound and attach the dressing to dry healthy skin with adhesive tape. The dressing should be changed every few days. Keep the wound moist until it has healed. A moist environment promotes healing, improves tissue formation and protects the area from infection.