Lime juice for skin abrasions

The Government

The Government

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Aug 21, 2009
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I have found that fresh lime juice is one of the best things to use on abrasion wounds -like what you would receive from bumping into a course rock, sliding over cement, or physically contacting a sharp coral reef (not deep cuts). A respected waterman turned me onto lime juice some time ago and I thought I would share.

What makes it particularly effective is its ability to seal a wound by speeding up the scabbing process. It seems to coagulates blood very effectively. It stings a bit at first, but not enough to stop me from using it. I dont know of anything that works better which is also widely available and inexpensive.

I go into the ocean a lot and there is always a risk of getting staff infections from open wounds -lime juice is where its at for closing/ scabbing them. It gets me back into the water sooner and safer. I would assume this is also desirable in bushcraft settings...

Thoughts for discussion:
Has anyone else found the same results to be true? Is there a scientific explanation? What are the costs of using lime juice, if any? Are there any other "folk remedies" out there with similar effects?

Thanks


PS- If we dont already have one, it would be nice to have a thread about "folk remedies" that work well. -just a thought.
 
The Ticos up here in the mountains use it quite a bit.
I find that sea salt water, at 3ppm, is the best for that sort of thing.
 
:DYou are talking about maybe a scrape that took of the first really thin layer of skin, and not actually bleeding, right? I'll have to keep some of that handy from now on since I am pretty dang injury prone
 
^The kind of abrasion that would otherwise take a while to scab over, there may be spots of blood drops and puss, but not really squirting blood or deep wounding. I have used it on 3" across abrasions from coral reef and it scabbed them up very quickly (the same day) where it would have otherwise been a "healing puss mess" for days. Sorry, "healing puss mess" is the only way I can think to describe it:D -and with that said I am not a medical professional;).
 
Never heard of that one before... I'm guessing that the stinging causes an "acute inflammation worsening" (via prostaglandin synthesis in response to cell damage) which causes the blood vessels to shrink up (vasoconstriction) allowing clotting to occur more effectively. Overall the healing may take longer due to scabbing slowing down normal skin growth but it'll allow you to get back on with whatever you were doing. Similarly, cold water if you nick yourself shaving causes the bleeding to stop quicker because the blood vessels shrink (but inflammatory responses aren't increased). Those are my ideas, wonder if there are any physicians around who'll definitely know better.

Chris
 
I play a lot of soccer and after every game I come home with some turf burns. I'll give this a shot next time I have some oozers.
 
The movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' wasn't kidding when it showed the Greek father using Windex for everything. That mixture of ammonia, water, and alcohol is a wonder for preventing infections, plus killing flies, spiders, cockroaches, and other creepies.
 
Scabbing ?? If you use honey for cuts and abrasions with a dressing you'll find the cut heals faster and no scab forms !! Been used for thousands of years.
Increases flow of luecocytes and has anti-bacterial action .
 
So we've moved on from boiled cow pee now then?

The type of graze I think you're taking about I use some iodine to treat. It sterilizes it but doesn't help form a protective scab so maybe the lime could be the way to go from now on?
 
Thanks for your responses guys, I know it is hard to take medical advise from an unknown source over the internet named "the government," lol. The lime juice works great though for forming a quick sealing scab.

I'll have to give the honey/ dressing combo a try. I have never used windex either, and I am part greek -so why not:D.
 
I have heard of honey before. Been a cure for many years. I have read where honey was poured into wounds after surgery as well.
 
i think lime and lemon juice can work wonders...

you can try them on anything... burns, cuts, wounds... even fungus... it will kill them good (but on a treatment...) like do it every day for that...
 
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