Wooden Jewelry and Wound healing: Difference between pages

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[[File:Wood-1.jpg|thumb|right|Wood]]
There are two main ways in which the body heals a wound. Where the edges of the wound are neat and are able to close back together (either naturally, or with the help of sutures), the healing that ensues is called "healing by primary intention". When the edges of the wound cannot be closed, or where skin has been removed, the body needs to create tissue to cover this wound. This is called "healing by secondary intention".
[[File:Wood-2.jpg|thumb|right|Wood]]
[[File:Wood-3.jpg|thumb|right|Wood]]


Many hardwoods— [[ebony]] being the most common example, other woods such as [[chakte kok]], as well as woody grasses including [[bamboo]]— make excellent [[jewelry]]. While wooden jewelry works best in dry piercings, it has been used successfully in [[tongue piercings]] as well. Properly finished wood jewelry has a tendency to thicken the skin of a piercing and drastically improve its health over metal or plastic [[body jewelry]]. A small percentage of individuals have (or develop) a [[Wood Allergy|wood allergy]] to certain kinds of wood. In addition, many hardwoods are considered endangered, and care should be taken to ensure that jewelry is obtained ethically.
'''Summary of the process of wound healing :'''


Common woods used in body jewelry:
''1) Inflammatory phase. Immediately after injury - 5 days''


* [[Boxwood]]
When the skin is cut, the blood vessels constrict, to prevent the loss of too much blood. As the blood begins to coagulate, the blood vessels dilate, allowing fluid to pass more easily through them, creating a build up of tissue fluid around the wound, and causing the area to look and feel inflamed. Most of the other processes going on here are to help the body clean the wound and prevent infection, but growth factors are produced which prepare the body for producing [[Collagen]].
* [[Charcoal wood]]
* [[Bamboo]]
* [[Chakte Kok]]
* [[Ebony]]
* [[Maple]]
* [[Olive]]
* [[Pink Ivory]]
* [[Purple Heartwood]]
* [[Zebrawood]]
* [[Bloodwood]]


and many others.
''2) Proliferative phase. 2 days - 3 weeks''


Some people finish their wooden jewelry using [[wax]], but many prefer simply oiling the wood using [[olive oil]], [[Vitamin E]] oil, or [[Emu Oil]]. '''DO NOT''' use varnishes, since that defeats the purpose of using wooden jewelry in the first place. You may also want to sand your wooden jewelry periodically.
The wound will still be in the inflammatory phase when this second phase occurs. Collagen is laid down by the body in the space between the wound margins. To minimize the area of scar tissue needed, the wound will begin to contract, and the wound margins will draw closer, reducing the width of the [[Scar|scar]] by up to 50%.


It should also be noted that wearing wooden jewelry in the shower can cause the wood to expand. If this happens, you may want to sand the jewelry until you can run your fingernail against it without feeling the grain. Once this has been done, you should re-oil the jewelry as well.
''3) Remodeling phase. 1 week - 2 years''
 
The granulation tissue created by the body in response to the injury is slowly converted to scar tissue. Collagen is being formed and destroyed all the time in a healing wound, as the body converts one type of tissue to another. Normal skin cells from the edges of the wound multiply and migrate inwards, further reducing the area of the scar. The majority of this change will occur within the first two months, but the scar will continue to mature for around two years.


== See Also ==
== See Also ==
* [[Organic]]
* [[Scarification aftercare]]
* [[Wood Allergy]]
* [[Wood Hazards]]

Latest revision as of 22:57, 25 September 2023

There are two main ways in which the body heals a wound. Where the edges of the wound are neat and are able to close back together (either naturally, or with the help of sutures), the healing that ensues is called "healing by primary intention". When the edges of the wound cannot be closed, or where skin has been removed, the body needs to create tissue to cover this wound. This is called "healing by secondary intention".

Summary of the process of wound healing :

1) Inflammatory phase. Immediately after injury - 5 days

When the skin is cut, the blood vessels constrict, to prevent the loss of too much blood. As the blood begins to coagulate, the blood vessels dilate, allowing fluid to pass more easily through them, creating a build up of tissue fluid around the wound, and causing the area to look and feel inflamed. Most of the other processes going on here are to help the body clean the wound and prevent infection, but growth factors are produced which prepare the body for producing Collagen.

2) Proliferative phase. 2 days - 3 weeks

The wound will still be in the inflammatory phase when this second phase occurs. Collagen is laid down by the body in the space between the wound margins. To minimize the area of scar tissue needed, the wound will begin to contract, and the wound margins will draw closer, reducing the width of the scar by up to 50%.

3) Remodeling phase. 1 week - 2 years

The granulation tissue created by the body in response to the injury is slowly converted to scar tissue. Collagen is being formed and destroyed all the time in a healing wound, as the body converts one type of tissue to another. Normal skin cells from the edges of the wound multiply and migrate inwards, further reducing the area of the scar. The majority of this change will occur within the first two months, but the scar will continue to mature for around two years.

See Also

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