Hand Doctors Tips to
Avoid Pumping Carving Hand Cuts
It’s October – which means it’s time for pumpkin carving fun! But this time honored condition can also turn into a trip to the emergency room for a hand cut or other injury, if precautions aren’t taken.
During October of almost every year, Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman treats patients -adults and children alike- for severe hand cuts and injuries incurred while carving pumpkins. In order to enjoy a safe, fun Halloween season (free from hand cuts!) follow these steps when carving your jack-o-lantern.
To prevent hand injuries, Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman suggests you adhere to the following pumping carving safety tips, to avoid hand cuts and injury.
Tips to Avoid Pumpkin Carving Hand Cuts & Injury:
#1. Carve pumpkins in a dry, well-lit area to avoid hand cuts
To avoid hand cuts and other, similar injuries, begin by thoroughly washing and drying all of your pumpkin-carving tools. By making sure all knives, cutting surfaces, and (perhaps most importantly) hands are sufficiently dry and free from moisture, Macomb County pumpkin carvers are less likely to experience the slipping that leads to hand cuts.
While it’s spooky fun to carve pumpkins outside at night in the dark, poor lighting can make it easier to slip with a carving tool and cut the hand. So turn on the lights, until after the carving is done and it’s time to light the candle!
#2. Leave the carving to adults to avoid hand cuts
When making a jack-o-lantern, children should never be the ones doing the actual carving. Instead, Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman offers an alternative to avoid hand cuts: letting children draw a pattern on the pumpkin for the grown-ups to carve. Children can also take care of removing the seeds and pulp from inside the pumpkin, neither of which should result in hand cuts or other carving-related injuries.
Hand cuts and other pumpkin carving accidents usually happen during moments when children are unsupervised, so Macomb County parents are advised to keep a watchful eye on their child at all times while engaged in the festive Halloween activity.
#3. Choose the right tools to avoid pumpkin carving hand cuts
Pumpkin carving-related injuries such as hand cuts are often the result of not using the proper tools. While common sense might seem to dictate otherwise, knives that are especially sharp are not necessarily the best for carving pumpkins. Sharper knifes are more likely to become lodged within the thicker part of the pumpkin, requiring the use of force to remove. If the carver’s hand is in the wrong place when the knife is finally dislodged, they put themselves in danger of experiencing hand cuts.
An additional way to avoid hand cuts and injuries is to carve the pumpkin using small, controlled strokes of the knife. And just like any other time using a knife, we remind Macomb County pumpkin carvers to always cat away from themselves.
Treating Pumping Carving Hand Cuts & Injuries
Should your pumpkin carving experience result in a minor hand cut, applying direct pressure to the wound using a sterile cloth is often enough to stop bleeding on its own. If you are in Macomb County and continuous pressure does not slow or stop the bleeding after 15 minutes, call Dr. Rehman or make an emergency room visit.
In addition to being severely painful, hand cuts caused by pumpkin carving can have serious consequences. If not treated promptly, lacerations to the fingers can have severe impact on the flexor and extensor tendons and permanently impair the hand’s mobility. Hand cuts caused by sharp objects -such as those used for carving pumpkins- can also result in long-term damage to the tissue surrounding the tendons. For these reasons, should your fun Halloween tradition take an unexpectedly gruesome turn, contact board certified Macomb County hand surgeon Dr. Rehman immediately.
Hand Cut & Injury Doctor – Macomb County
Hand cuts and injuries can interfere with every aspect of daily life, from writing, to eating, to using the phone or computer! In extreme cases, treatment for a severe hand cut or laceration from pumpkin carving or another knife injury can often run three to four months, from the time of surgery through rehabilitation. So when injury occurs it is important to see a specialized hand doctor as soon as possible.
Halloween is supposed to be spooky, but not dangerous! If you or your child experienced a hand cut or injury while carving this year’s pumpkin, contact the practice of Macomb County board certified hand surgeon Dr. Rehman post-haste!
