minor head injury

[huntress81]

i fell backwards down 3 stairs somehow and hit my head against cement. some how i got 2 lacerations to the skull when of coarse bled like crazy. i called 911 and the paramedics said that they were only small cuts, and the reason it bled a lot was because it was the skull area. I am still a bit dizzy 24 hours later, but i am wondering. how to wash my hair? when should i? i know with something gentle like baby shampoo, but is there any specific way I need to do it without reopening my two wounds? please help, i'm completely at a loss on how to do this.

[susmitamahato]

thanks , for this advice, i have gone through the same situation, i fell down from byke, and had head injury, lot of blood came out of it, three stiches are put, but the area is dirty with old blood,i was afraid to wash off my head , after opening the stich also i am scared, as my mother is telling it yet not completely dried, pls help, till when it will be totally recovered?

[QUAKENSHAKE]

The impact to your head has sent a shock wave through the brain and has disoriented you. The first line of action is to clean the wound and stop the bleeding. Next to apply antiseptic anaesthetic cream, next close the would with sterile dressing/sutures. At this point, an ice pack is applied over the dressing. This helps keep the swelling down. When the wound has sealed (i.e. stopped bleeding), continue keeping the area cool to prevent bacteria from growing there. This is also a good time to cut the hair near the wound so you have a clear approach to it. Keeping it cool for the first two or three days is followed with alternating warm and cold packs. This flushes the area with life giving blood and drains it away to increase the turnover of new for old cell matter. It speeds healing. The inner experience requires the skills of a neurologist who may order an EEG.

[huntress81]

hi again,
Thanks for the info, I used baby shampoo and it worked well.
   I was wondering, I fell Sunday night. I get every now and then waves of dizziness.   I tried to go to work today, but couldn't stay due to the way I feel. My head doesn't hurt though, no headaches. Is there anything I should do or can do to help this? Or will it go away on its own?
thanks

[selmaS]

HI...u may want to try one of those dry shampoos...every time the scar area gets wet, it has to dry and will pull and possibly open...so only wash ur hair  once or twice a week...avoid the area as much as possible and try the dry shampoos to see if that will work till it heals.

Good luck
"selma"

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Welcome to the MedHelp forum!
It all depends on whether the cuts were stitched or not. If they were very small cuts and no stitches were put, then you can wash your hair with a mild shampoo and take care not to scrub at all. After washing the hair, you can gently pat the scalp dry. Thereafter you can sprinkle some antibiotic dusting powder on the wound or an antibiotic cream can be applied. If there were stitches put, then you need to keep the area dry. In this case you will have to ask someone to wash your hair leaving the scalp dry. You will need to tilt your head back sitting on a chair or something like that (possible only if you have long hair). The scalp can then be washed only after the stitches are removed. The blood on scalp can be removed using cotton soaked in surgical spirit.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!