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Question re: road rash on face and shaving
Last Post 01/13/2014 12:51 PM by Keith Jackson. 10 Replies.
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velofellow 2.0

Posts:27

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01/11/2014 05:07 PM
Been a while since I've been here. Real nasty crash on 12/28. Two broken arms, concussion and mucho road rash. Just got out of rehab yesterday. No memory of crash. No idea when I'll be back at work or on my bike. Anyway, got lots of road rash on left side of face. Haven't shaved since accident. Can't bend elbows and have limited arm mobility. Face is getting gross (insert joke here). Do I not shave until scabs fall off on their own? Don't want any more scars on my beautiful mug. Anyone been down this road before? TIA
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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01/11/2014 05:36 PM
Time to grow a beard. 12 days in? The itchies won't last much longer. Grow it for the next couple of months, then get opinions; keep it or shave? Until then? If anyone asked, it's for medical reasons.

If your injuries are of the magnitude of my several big crashes (sounds like you've qualified easily), keeping life simple and not doing things that are simply luxuries is the way to go. And shaving, on the list of life's essentials, is really just a luxury. Enjoy your beard!

Been there, done that.

Edit:  Two broken arms?  I hope you are not thinking about doing the shaving yourself?  I'm sure your doctor would nix that one.

Ben
vtguy

Posts:298

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01/11/2014 05:55 PM
My only experience with facial road rash was about 30-years ago and not nearly as serious as yours -- had a wheel lock up while roller skiing. I agree with Ben -- bag shaving until your face has healed. Best of luck with your healing.
6ix

Posts:485

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01/11/2014 06:04 PM
Gawd dang!! That sounds awful!! Hope you can heal quick but seriously, two broken arms? Sorry to hear that.

I crashed directly on my face back in 2007. Tore me up pretty good. HUGE lip and stitches all over. My suggestion is to definitely NOT shave. The scabs are there for a reason. Continue putting bacetracin (sp?) on them. After a while, they will dissolve or become a gooey mess. It's important to NOT remove the scab even if it's embedded in your beard. You'll scare like nobody's business. I had to wait a long time to get the stitches removed because they were stuck inside a huge scab.

Anyhow, embrace it. Sure, you're going to look like crap for a while, but relish in the lovely kisses from all the beautiful girls that feel sorry for you. Nothing wrong with a little pity party.
stronz

Posts:447

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01/11/2014 06:26 PM
heal up velo fellow -- good news is you're still around to ride again
Cosmic Kid

Posts:4209

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01/11/2014 08:04 PM
No advice to add.....just heal quickly and well.
Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
Ibex

Posts:24

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01/11/2014 08:18 PM
I will give some contrary advice here. Once every day or two I would soak the scabs with hydrogen peroxide. This will break down some of the proteins in the dried blood and gently remove some of the scab. I would clean after with warm soapy water. Scabs when left in place for long periods of time can contract down and as they do they get a bit harder and thicker, forming an eschar that can be hard to remove later. Agree with the use of bacitracin after this, although any antibiotic ointment that you don't have a contact reaction to will do. You can even use a fresh new jar of vaseline. If you use vaseline, don't put your finger in it, use a fresh Q-tip everytime to scope some out. That way you keep the vaseline free of bacterial from your skin flora. Vaseline is a bacterial static environment, prefect for wound healing. Nothing magical about antibiotic ointments if you don't have an infection, choose whichever you prefer.
Definitely let the whiskers grown No sense in causing secondary skin irritation. when you have a road rash, the skin has lost it's top layer, which is the barrier against infection. When you shave you can seed this exposed skin with bacteria from your skin, such as staph.
Be patient, you will be a good looking dude again before you know it.
Best of luck
zootracer

Posts:833

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01/12/2014 01:28 PM
OMG, two broken arms! Hope you heal well and get back on your bike. I've crashed before ( a couple of times). Once you get back to riding, take it easy and slow for awhile. It will take time for everything to come back. Don't stop riding...good luck!
jrt1045

Posts:363

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01/12/2014 02:06 PM
Just go for the beardo, you have a good excuse. I had 17 stitches on my face this summer and I just shaved around it for a week or two and then was real careful with the razor. As I healed up it didn't look as bad as the first day I showed at work. The road rash has to be painful, as bad as the arms. Just chill and heal up, April will be all you
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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01/13/2014 12:44 PM
Ouch man, heal well.

This reminds me of a real ugly crash we came across when I just started riding. Someone spilled on gravel going downhill and completely cut his face. He was otherwise alright but still very very nasty looking, after all these years that image is still nailed in my brain.
Keith Richards

Posts:781

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01/13/2014 12:51 PM
Jesus man. Glad you are back with us. I am not going to say glad you are ok, because you obviously are not!
----- It is his word versus ours. We like our word. We like where we stand and we like our credibility."--Lance Armstrong.
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