So I'm working on a character who lives in the wild and while considering her lifestyle, I figured she's have some scars. The question is... What kind of scars? While researching animal attack wounds (which are awful to look at by the way) it occurred to me that she wouldn't have the benefit of modern medicine. That means when she gets a bad wound, the best she has is gauze and maybe some needles she stole that she could use for extremely amateur suturing.
I'm having a hard time researching different kinds of scars and the way a deep wound might heal if stitches weren't available. Does anyone have some resources?
I'm having a hard time researching different kinds of scars and the way a deep wound might heal if stitches weren't available. Does anyone have some resources?
I think something thing to keep in mind is that without access to proper medical care a deep wound can also easily be fatal to her. Without the right care, an infection can potentially be very dangerous. Quite some animal bites can, through infection, have some very unpleasant consequences.
https://www.quora.com/What-can-happen-if-a-wound-that-needs-stitches-is-not-stitched-but-merely-bandaged-Will-it-simply-take-a-longer-time-to-heal
Someone in these Quora responses explains that a deeper wound without stitches is far more likely to get infected and also takes a lot longer to heal. I imagine it'll also heal a lot less nice.
My advise would be to line out her history and see what sort of injuries she could've reasonably gotten. If she's slept in a cave for a while, bat-bites aren't outside the realm of possibility, for example. Or maybe she's lived in an area with large feline predators. Claw scratches from a mountain lion will likely also leave a scar. If she's lived in a rocky area, then scrapes and such from climbing or even falling might make sense.
Also look into what the effects of different scars are. Contracture scars and keloid scars, for instance, can hamper movement. Keloids result from an overaggressive healing process and tend to extend beyond the injury and contracture scars tend to tighten the skin (often the result of burns).
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-scars
This WebMD link explains this in more detail.
https://www.quora.com/What-can-happen-if-a-wound-that-needs-stitches-is-not-stitched-but-merely-bandaged-Will-it-simply-take-a-longer-time-to-heal
Someone in these Quora responses explains that a deeper wound without stitches is far more likely to get infected and also takes a lot longer to heal. I imagine it'll also heal a lot less nice.
My advise would be to line out her history and see what sort of injuries she could've reasonably gotten. If she's slept in a cave for a while, bat-bites aren't outside the realm of possibility, for example. Or maybe she's lived in an area with large feline predators. Claw scratches from a mountain lion will likely also leave a scar. If she's lived in a rocky area, then scrapes and such from climbing or even falling might make sense.
Also look into what the effects of different scars are. Contracture scars and keloid scars, for instance, can hamper movement. Keloids result from an overaggressive healing process and tend to extend beyond the injury and contracture scars tend to tighten the skin (often the result of burns).
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/cosmetic-procedures-scars
This WebMD link explains this in more detail.
How to treat a wound in the wild might help you out a little for alternatives
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