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Wounds on the face tend to heal faster because of the abundant blood supply.
Wounds below the knee take longer because of slower circulation.
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Poor Blood Circulation
Poor blood circulationmay slow wound healing.
For wounds to heal properly, they need an adequate blood supply to the injured area.
Blood carries oxygen and nutrients required for a cut or injury to heal through the body’scardiovascular system.
Lack of Nutrients
The body needs certain nutrients to help repair the damaged skin of a wound.
Thenutrients your body needsfor healing include:
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Other conditions that can drive slow wound healing include:
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Treatments that can cause slow wound healing include:
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Smoking
Thenicotine and toxinsin cigarette smoke constrict blood vessels, reducing the amount of oxygen that reaches the wound.
Since oxygen is vital for wound healing, it will take longer to heal without a sufficient supply.
Age
After an injury, aninflammatory responsetells the body to begin healing.
When that inflammatory process lasts too long, wounds heal slower.
The inflammatory period after an injury is naturally longer in older adults, making wound healing slower.
Individual Sex Hormones
Those with higher levels ofestrogenmay experience faster wound healing than those with lower levels.
This is because estrogen regulates wound healing.
Contact a healthcare provider if you are concerned about how slowly your wounds heal.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.Patient education - slow wound healing.
doi:10.7759/cureus.50734
Better Health Channel Victoria.Wounds - how to care for them.
Nova Scotia Health Clinical Practice Supports.Skin and wound care.
