Although scrubbing has been suggested by some cyclists, the less you aggravate the area the easier it will heal. Once you get home, it’s time for a proper cleaning. Squirting the water directly from a water bottle works great to rinse away any dirt or pebbles that may be embedded in the road rash. First things first, gently rinse the affected area with drinking water until you can more thoroughly attend to it. Halfway through a long ride, you may not have all the supplies needed to properly clean the wound if you don’t carry a first aid kit with you. If the skin is broken and bleeding, but the deep layer of skin is intact, then you should be able to treat it on your own. If part of the wound is deep enough to need stitches, or if you can see any fat globules (white looking substance), then a trip to the hostpital is a must. If all seems to be okay, then you can assess the degree of the road rash. Take time to assess the whole body, including your head, spine and internal organs. How should you treat road rash?Īlthough there has been some debate over the years as to what method of treatment is best, we’ve put together a list of tested and true steps to ensure a fast and relatively painless recovery.Īlthough road rash may be the most obvious injury after a crash, it may not be the most serious. Just think of that patch of missing skin as a symbol of your commitment to the sport and as painful as it can be, there’s no reason for it to deter you from getting back out there as soon as possible. You know that split second right before a wipe out, when everything slows down and you do all you can to postpone the inevitable? Unfortunately, there’s just not much that can be done in that moment other than hope for the best.Ĭrashes happen to the best of us, and the accompanying road rash is almost a rite of passage for many cyclists.

Road rash healing process