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If you've cut or grazed yourself, a few minutes after the injury, the blood will start to coagulate, filling in the empty space caused by the incision. That's how the edges of the wound dry out and a scab starts to form.
Do you have a superficial cut? Is your injury minor? You're lucky, because it won't take any time at all to heal. Your skin will start to regenerate 24 hours after the injury. The coagulated blood that collected in the cut has metabolized, thanks to a series of enzymes produced naturally by your body, forming a new layer of skin.
Notice that from day 3 you'll see that your wound has turned a pale pink-ish colour, but it's nothing to worry about - it's a good sign. It means that blood vessels are being formed and that the wound is healing naturally in good time.
In a week's time, you'll see that the injury area has become thicker: the affected layer of skin has grown thanks to a new basement membrane that has started to generate on the wound.
If you don't want to compromise the healing time of your wound, don't touch it, and above all, avoid picking off the scab. Let it fall off on its own, following its natural course. If you force the scab off, you might end up with a scar that's more noticeable than it would have been.
Resign yourself to the fact that the scar that's formed on top of the wound will continue to take shape for years. Yes, and the good news is, you'll hardly ever notice it, because 6 weeks after the accident, the scar will have reached 90% of the consistency of the original tissue.
If you've been a sun worshipper, don't worry! Healing times for minor burns and scalds are less. These types of burns resolve within about 2 weeks and most of all, when they're minor, they don't leave unpleasant souvenirs behind like scars on the skin.
