The analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative effects of CBD have made it an important component in the treatment protocols for diverse diseases. It has been found that these benefits are also useful in promoting wound healing when applied topically. But, you must know that this is also dependent on the other ingredient used in the CBD topical such as ointments or balms. The wrong type of ingredient can potentially reduce the benefits of cannabidiol. Good quality carrier oils and other botanicals are found to enhance these benefits and help in the treatment of burns, scrapes, cuts, bites, and aberrations. So how is CBD useful for wound healing?
How Does A Wound Heal?
Wound healing is a complex process that involves the coordination of multiple biological systems and cells. They can be broadly classified into three stages, namely: inflammation, proliferation, and maturation. So, let us try to understand each of these stages in detail. The first phase, i.e. inflammation is painful and it is the body’s first response to a wound. It is the immune system that responds by sending immune cells to the site of tissue damage or wound. The pain that is associated with this is a mechanism of our body to make us aware of the damage, and make less movement for the repair of the wounded region or site. This lasts over a few days and when the pain subsides it indicates the beginning of the next stage i.e. proliferation.
With the advent of the proliferation phase, the body begins to close the wound and it is characterized by contraction. In this phase, our body builds a matrix of new cells, other tissues, and collagen to replace the damaged or lost cells. Blood vessels and nerves re-establish connections and in some cases make you susceptible to flashes of sharp neuropathic pain at the wound site, you need not worry as they are not permanent. This is followed by the maturation phase, the wound site is closed completely and the tissues are regenerated. There will be scar tissue over the healed wound and this phase will continue over weeks, during this time the scar tissue will soften and become less visible.
Wound Healing Treatments
The focus of most wound healing treatments is to accelerate the healing process and can be achieved in multiple ways. The most common strategy is to reduce the duration of the inflammatory phase so that it moves into the proliferation phase resulting in faster wound closure and reduced scarring. On top of that, promoting cellular activity and movement is important for the healing process as it requires higher levels of oxygen. Most of the topical products used for accelerated wound healing will also have ingredients to keep the area clean from bacteria and other infection-inducing microbes. They also contain ingredients for reducing the pain from inflammation as well as neuropathic pain.
CBD For Wound Healing And Care
The therapeutic and medical benefits of cannabidiol CBD like anti-inflammatory effect, analgesic effect, and anti-microbial property make it effective in a medical application for wound healing and care. Moreover, it has the added advantage of being a good vasodilator, increasing the oxygen supply to the wounded area and thereby accelerating the healing process. All these qualities coupled together make CBD a promising therapeutic ingredient in wound care and healing products.
So if you want pure CBD products to apply for wound healing, use tinctures without any additives or flavor. For those who have any kind of plant allergies, it would be better to dissolve pure CBD isolate in the carrier oil of their choice. As mentioned earlier, the quality and type of botanicals used along with cannabidiol determine the effectiveness of the product.
CBD Topical For Wound Care
The carrier oils used in the CBD topical helps to give it consistency and enhances its skin protecting qualities. Balms, salves, or ointments are a better choice than lotions or roll-ons. This is because the high alcohol content in the roll-ons is bad for the bones if it is a deep wound. Next, they cannot be used in a hygienic way on wounded skin. The salves or ointments help to create a physical barrier over the skin preventing the entry of harmful microbes and irritants and to the site of injury.
Shared below are some good carrier oils or base waxes that are used in CBD topical for wound healing.
- Beeswax – it has good antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties
- Cocoa or shea butter – has good anti-inflammatory property
- Coconut Oil – a popular anti-inflammatory oil used in CBD topical.
- Lanolin – It has good skin-protecting properties
CBD topical in the form of ointments uses petroleum gel whose quality is determined by the manufacturing process, this determines the effectiveness of the product for wound healing.
It is obvious by now that CBD topical for wound healing is beneficial as it promotes regeneration while reducing pain and inflammation. Also, you must consult with a physician before using it, as some people might have allergic reactions. Therefore, it would be worthwhile giving it a try due to its many benefits.