Paper Cuts

Paper Cuts

When Stationery Cuts Like a Knife

We've all done it: Hurrying to open an envelope or sheaf of paper, you slide your finger under the flap and instantly feel the paper slice your finger.

A paper cut is deceptively tiny but deep. It throbs and stings so badly that you feel like every nerve ending in your body is centered in your fingertip.

Because they are superficial, paper cuts heal fast, says Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., head of clinical research in the Department of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. But they can be very uncomfortable for a few days--especially if you need to use your fingertips for typing, dialing or other tasks. "Every time you move your fingertip, the cut opens again," says Dr. Bergfeld.

Women tend to get paper cuts more frequently in the winter, when dry air and heat sap away skin's natural moisture. "Skin on the hands, especially, becomes dry and rigid--meaning that it's more vulnerable to the paper's sharp edge," says Dr. Bergfeld.

Fortunately, paper cut relief is right at your fingertips, say women doctors. Here's what they recommend you do to reduce the pain and help heal the cut.

Clean it. "Gently run warm water over your fingertip for a minute or so until it is totally clean, so that it doesn't become infected," says dermatologist Karen E. Burke, M.D., Ph.D., an attending physician at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City and at Greensboro Specialty Surgical Center in North Carolina.

Soothe with salve. After cleaning the cut, apply a dab of antibacterial ointment, such as Bacitracin, recommends Dr. Burke. The ointment will help kill germs, and it also moisturizes the cut so it heals faster.

Cross it off. To close the gaping cut, gently push both edges together and apply a small strip of surgical tape--which sticks better than an adhesive bandage, according to Dr. Burke. "Position the tape perpendicular to the paper cut, so that the cut and the tape form an X. Then pull it tight across the cut, so that the skin will stay together and heal."

Glue it together. It sounds crazy, but you might want to hold the cut together with Krazy Glue. "It stings when you first put it on, but it is not harmful," says Sheryl Clark, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Cornell Medical Center and an assistant attending physician in medicine at the New York Hospital, both in in New York City. "Just a little dab will do it. It helps seal out air, so that the paper cut is not painful while it heals."

One caution, though. "It's rare, but some people are allergic to Krazy Glue," says Dr. Bergfeld. "So if your skin becomes red, inflamed, swollen or sore, discontinue it and see a doctor."

Coat it with zinc oxide. You know that white stuff that lifeguards put on the sides of their noses to protect them from the sun? It works for paper cuts, too, and you can buy it inexpensively in drugstores. "Zinc oxide is a thick paste that seals out air and makes the cut more comfortable. And the zinc itself helps wounds heal more quickly," says Dr. Clark.

Do the night shift. "Nighttime is the perfect time to apply treatment to a paper cut, because you don't have to use your hands while you sleep," says Dr. Bergfeld. "At night you can really gob up the cut with an antibacterial ointment, like Bacitracin, and then cover it with a bandage."

Work smart. And next time, says Dr. Bergfeld, use the letter opener.