# Legitimate substance that really promotes healing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2025, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903 "2025-06-20T18:13:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/41 "2025-06-28T23:12:52Z")
If you really want the nitty gritty, look below. > **[Breakthrough treatments for accelerated wound healing](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10191440/)** > > Skin injuries across the body continue to disrupt everyday life for millions of patients and result in prolonged hospital stays, infection, and death. Advances in wound healing devices have improved clinical practice but have mainly focused on ... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/42 "2025-06-29T03:26:40Z")
Since the answer was had by the second or 3rd post, so as not to get anyone pants in a twist, I feel like I can tell my personal(surely not the only one here who’s experienced this)anecdote. I’ve recently had a foot injury. It went all sideways. Ended up with a somewhat horrific surgery. Short, but nasty. As I heal slowly, it was really getting to me. The surgeon sent me to the wound care place. After they were done screaming at the sight of my foot and causing me discomfort the wound care specialist( 🤔) sez, “LASER”. So I’m carted to the bowels of the joint. Put in what was similar to a dental chair. Put little glasses on. And they lasered me. No pain. No fret. No blind eye. (No bill, 100% covered) Went back 3 more times. Can’t swear it sped things up. They say it did. I really really want to believe it. So I will. Not a substance, I suppose. I do believe its legit. I’ve found a bunch of info online that assures me its legit. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/43 "2025-06-29T06:02:29Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Might be obvious to folks, but that graphic is mislabeled. 1 is _epidermis_, 2 is dermis and 3 is subcutaneous tissue (mostly adipose). Doi. I didn’t pay attention to the labels, just wanted pix that were graphic w/o being grotesque. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/44 "2025-06-30T23:05:39Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > surgeon sent me to the wound care place Had a friend sent to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy place (AKA pressure chamber) for wound healing. Oddly enough “negative pressure therapy” is also used by some places: improved oxygenation is one of the benefits, by pulling in oxygen rather than pushing it in. Which reminds me: apparently, if the oxygen pressure is high enough, you don’t need to breath: you can absorb enough oxygen through the skin. (that may be an ‘internet fact’). And it works better for neonates: small people have a better surface-to-volume ratio. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/45 "2025-07-08T20:54:58Z")
My horse fell out of a moving trailer on to pavement five years ago. Punctured two joint capsules and many other less serious wounds. She One of the techniques the university vet hospital used on her was amniotic membrane on her deepest punctures. Very cool stuff, that. They also used and sent home with me (she spent a month there) was aluminum spray bandage. Commonly used for livestock wounds. I don’t think it is approved for humans though. After spending a month at the university vet hospital (could have bought a low-mileage subcompact car instead) she came home for rehab. I was given a tutorial on bandaging and wound management before she was released. I am like the empress of bandaging now. Some of the many interesting techniques they used for wounds were ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/46 "2025-07-09T12:57:44Z")
They got to her before the secrets could be revealed… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/47 "2025-07-09T19:16:58Z")
Oh Noes! 😀 😜 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2025, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/48 "2025-07-09T19:26:32Z")
Based on what other people told me, I used to recommend Bag Balm as a preventive or treatment for diaper rash in my pharmacist days. I have used it myself on my nostrils whenever I had a cold; it really does a good job of protecting the skin, and doesn’t wash off easily. Aloe, especially straight from the plant, is great for first-degree burns. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2025, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/49 "2025-07-10T00:49:22Z")
It works so well for me. I use it on my face at night in the winter, never any residue on the pillow slip. I don’t experience any odour or stickiness, when I use it. It completely disappears for me, without a trace. So good for overused hands. I use it in my hair when it’s dried out. And it’s better than ANY over the counter product I’ve tried. You can also use it on pets, I used it on my dog for cuts and scrapes and for his paws in winter. Disappears completely and no harm if they lick at it. I like that you can use it for so many things. I may be misremembering, but when I first read up on it, I swear it said it could also be used as crankshank grease. Y’know, on the farm, haha! I haven’t tried that, to be clear. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/50 "2025-07-18T00:17:28Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > **Bag Balm** Isn’t that just lanolin? It’s terrific stuff…also excellent for turning dried out stiff riding gloves supple again. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2025, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903/51 "2025-07-18T03:31:57Z")
And other greases. And 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate, which is a topical antibiotic of the kind used before penicillin. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/legitimate-substance-that-really-promotes-healing/1019903.md?page=2)