The skin is made up of several layers.

1. The innermost layer is the subcutaneous tissue, which is made up of fat, connective tissues, and larger blood vessels.

2. The middle layer of the skin is the dermis.

3. The top layer is the epidermis. This is the layer that contains skin pigments and what people think of when they talk about skin.

The depth of the wound often determines the type of treatment needed.

The stages of wound healing are:

1. Clotting

2. Inflammation

3. Growth of new tissue

4. Remodeling

First Stage of Wound Healing – Clotting

• The body’s first reaction to a wound is to send platelets to the area of the wound.

• Blood vessels restrict to prevent the body’s loss of blood.

• Bleeding stops.

Second Stage – Inflammation

• Dead and damaged cells are cleared out by immune cells.

• Immune cells release inflammatory cytokines to fight off pathogens and prevent infections.

Third Stage – Growth of New Tissue

• Fibroplasts provide collagen to the area of the wound in order to stimulate the growth of new tissue to replace the damaged or dead cells resulting from the trauma of the wound.

• Nitric acid assists in the creation of new blood vessels to replace the ones that were lost damaged.

Fourth Stage – Remodeling

• Inflammation slows or stops.

• Tissue continues to reform to the structure of the body.