facial injuries

amjon

hi guys i am posting this topic here as i guess most cyclists will sooner or later introduce their face to a pavement.how well do scrapes heal?mine aren't too deep,more superficial.how long does it generally take?sorry about my crap grammer and punctuation but i only have one hand available and am in a fair bit of pain still.also on a side note how long does it take fractures to heal?the doc said 4-6 weeks but i always thought it was more like 3-4?

ps fixed wheel bikes don't have a freewheel:(

stuf

amjon wrote: »

hi guys i am posting this topic here as i guess most cyclists will sooner or later introduce their face to a pavement.how well do scrapes heal?mine aren't too deep,more superficial.how long does it generally take?sorry about my crap grammer and punctuation but i only have one hand available and am in a fair bit of pain still.also on a side note how long does it take fractures to heal?the doc said 4-6 weeks but i always thought it was more like 3-4?

ps fixed wheel bikes don't have a freewheel:(

tbh I think your doctor might be a bit more qualified to give you an estimate on the fracture healing time than a bunch of assorted boardsies - depends entirely on the bone in question. Scrapes would probably be a few weeks to clear depending on the depth but again the doc's the man.

sorry to hear about your spill - sounds like a nasty one - the fixie thing does take a bit of getting used to and I'm guessing you picked up a lot of speed and then forgot. had a similar thing in my first week fixed but managed to avoid kissing tarmac but I was going flat out on custom house quay with only one foot on the pedals

Slice

Ouch!

estebancambias

happened to me yesterday...and i don't wear a helmet or nothing...****ing hurt like hell but had to save face so just passed it off with a laugh.

blorg

Your doc is more qualified. Stuf is right with the whole fixie thing, after cycling it fine for over 1,000km I was back on a geared bike for a while as it was in for repairs and when I picked it up from the shop almost had an over-the-bars moment (cycling two bikes at this point naturally.) From stuf's post I reckon I was saved by my clipless pedals, feet were clipped in so weren't going anywhere else other than round and round.

Friday I tried to bunnyhop onto a kerb using conventional bike technique. I had never really considered the details of this before but now I realise it must involve stopping pedalling. Of course that works very differently on a fixie; it was having none of it and the front wheel hit the kerb with a genuine over the bars resulting; still have the bruises from that one

As for fractures, in my limited experience it will get better with time, so maybe only 3-4 weeks of unbearable agony but 4-6 before it is properly better It should get consistently better than now if you have just done it but you will still be feeling it 4-6 weeks from now would be the point, but maybe just an annoyance by that point.

Chips Lovell

It depends on the cuts. I had to get my face stiched up in January after riding into a pillar. I looked a state and honestly thought the scars would be with me forever. Nine months later and you'd hardly notice them. As for bones, it depends on the fracture. I had a broken finger last year that still had pins in it 6+ weeks after the break.

amjon wrote: »

ps fixed wheel bikes don't have a freewheel:

Fixed gear + forget to keep pedalling = face plant???

Gavin

The momentum of the pedals is surprisingly strong, more than enough to eject one from the bike

p.s. This is the internet. Photos or it didn't happen

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

Fixed gear + forget to keep pedalling = face plant???

I know you have a very nice track bike yourself, but honestly I had 1,000km on my own fixie thinking, this is fine, how could anyone possibly do that before I had a "moment" where momentarily forgetting about keeping pedalling while wheeling another bike I realised that yes, it is quite possible. It generally happens when you try to do something that is natural to you on a freewheel.

Hands not on the bars when forgetting to pedal would heighten the risk.

scottreynolds

el tonto wrote: »

Fixed gear + forget to keep pedalling = face plant???

I've changed my mind about joining the group cycles now.... you are all mad... Cuts, fractures, riding into pillars

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

I know you have a very nice track bike yourself, but honestly I had 1,000km on my own fixie thinking, this is fine, how could anyone possibly do that before I had a "moment" where momentarily forgetting about keeping pedalling while wheeling another bike I realised that yes, it is quite possible. It generally happens when you try to do something that is natural to you on a freewheel.

Believe me I know exactly how it can happen. I've had a few close shaves myself. Was just wondering if that's what had happend to the OP.

scottreynolds wrote: »

I've changed my mind about joining the group cycles now.... you are all mad... Cuts, fractures, riding into pillars

Forget about group rides, I rode into the pillar in the car park of my apartment building.

TinyExplosions

el tonto wrote: »

Forget about group rides, I rode into the pillar in the car park of my apartment building.

You're just that classy mate!

Raam

Road rash can take ages to dissappear. I got some on my face/head about two years ago. Whenever I get any bit of sun, two pink patches shine up. They aren't very noticeable, but I sure see 'em.

Vélo

Raam wrote: »

Road rash can take ages to dissappear. I got some on my face/head about two years ago. Whenever I get any bit of sun, two pink patches shine up. They aren't very noticeable, but I sure see 'em.

Just like carpet burns :D

Trojan

Raam wrote: »

Road rash can take ages to dissappear. I got some on my face/head about two years ago. Whenever I get any bit of sun, two pink patches shine up. They aren't very noticeable, but I sure see 'em.

I've hear Bio Oil ( http://www.bio-oil.info/en ) is good for getting rid of that. (I must try it on some of my rugby scars.)

amjon

el tonto wrote: »

It depends on the cuts. I had to get my face stiched up in January after riding into a pillar. I looked a state and honestly thought the scars would be with me forever. Nine months later and you'd hardly notice them.

Thank god for that,hopefully the same will happen to me.

el tonto wrote: »

Fixed gear + forget to keep pedalling = face plant???

Yeah,face plant.Messed up my mates front wheel too so thats the fourth bike in 6 days that I've put out of use.First 2 rear derailleur mangled in rear wheel then 3rd was some testing bike with a fan attached so not sure what I did to that then this.

amjon

Trojan wrote: »

I've hear Bio Oil ( http://www.bio-oil.info/en ) is good for getting rid of that. (I must try it on some of my rugby scars.)

Yeah I have heard about that,will look it up,cheers

Raam

Trojan wrote: »

I've hear Bio Oil ( http://www.bio-oil.info/en ) is good for getting rid of that. (I must try it on some of my rugby scars.)

Yes, I used it for a bit.

Bambaata

the GF raves about that stuff! Still have road rash marks on my arm from a spill a few months back so maybe i shoudl listen to her!

jim o doom

blorg wrote: »

Friday I tried to bunnyhop onto a kerb using conventional bike technique. I had never really considered the details of this before but now I realise it must involve stopping pedalling. Of course that works very differently on a fixie; it was having none of it and the front wheel hit the kerb with a genuine over the bars resulting; still have the bruises from that one

From my old bmxing days a bunny hop (even on a mountain bike) involved both feet at the same level standing on the non-moving pedals so that you could basically jump your body from standing and more or less pull the bike into the air with you.. it would be very hard to do that while still pedaling.. but I'm sure there are bicycly ninja's around who could do it

Raam

jim o doom wrote: »

From my old bmxing days a bunny hop (even on a mountain bike) involved both feet at the same level standing on the non-moving pedals so that you could basically jump your body from standing and more or less pull the bike into the air with you.. it would be very hard to do that while still pedaling.. but I'm sure there are bicycly ninja's around who could do it

It's possible, but I nearly came off while doing it. I forgot I was fixed, so pulled a big one to jump a big cut in the road. I stopped pedaling (bad idea), then landed and the bike went every which-way apart from straight. I've no idea how I didn't come off, but it must have looked comical for the guy in the car behind me.

Explosive_Cornflake

If there not too deep, few weeks, you'd be surprised how quick. Depends where on your face it is though.

amjon wrote: »

hi guys i am posting this topic here as i guess most cyclists will sooner or later introduce their face to a pavement.how well do scrapes heal?mine aren't too deep,more superficial.how long does it generally take?sorry about my crap grammer and punctuation but i only have one hand available and am in a fair bit of pain still.also on a side note how long does it take fractures to heal?the doc said 4-6 weeks but i always thought it was more like 3-4?

ps fixed wheel bikes don't have a freewheel:(

Traumadoc

fracture healing depends on the fracture site and the age of the patient ( among other variables)

A fractured femur in an adult could be 3-6 months, a fractured wrist in a child 2-4 weeks

fractured wrist in adult- 6 weeks

novarapid

sorry to hear about your accident, kissing tarmac is no fun.
last time i crashed, did a nice bit of damage to my face(tooth knocked out, gums cut and road rash) but after 2 weeks it was ok again. amazing the difference when stiches are removed and swelling goes down. Ive bad healing but luckly no scars on my face, besides a small one under my nose that i only notice when i'm shaving.
Bio oil works wonders, my friend used it on 12 stiches on his nose and after a few weeks scar was hardly noticable.

littleknown

i cut my face up a bit on a spill nearly 15 years ago and still have the scars although i didnt really mind them nor do i now as they are not that big and they generally go unnoticied.I was 17 at the time and the thought of cosmetic surgery seemed wrong. I would however recommend you that if they are bad and it bothers you to get consmetic surgery as soon as possible as it is more effective. good luck:pac:

BaBiT

You could also try manuka honey on the cuts...Have a 6 month old baby that occassionally scratches himself at night and the manuka honey makes the mark dissapear in a few days...you'll find it in most health food shops, a little on the expensive side but it seems to work....just don't put it on a sleep on an old cotton or linen pillow cos you'll wake up looking like santa claus

Don1

Minor cuts should vanish pretty good. AFAIK anywhere with more flesh, like cheeks, scars less easily, compared to say the back of a hand or something.

I smashed myself up good when I was 7 or 8. Broke five permanent teeth, chipped my chin and slashed it good, attained numerous sall cuts all over the left side of my face, knocked myself out cold and bruised my spleen! And I was wearing a helmet. Split it down the middle. Would have died if I didn't have it!

Only the mark on my chin and broken teeth remain.

amjon

Well it almost a week gone,there are 2 cuts that are still ozzing a bit but remain clean,the intial swelling and inflamation has subsided.I reckon there will be some slight scaring from both but apart from that I'll be ok I reckon.:)I'm using alo vera each night and once the 2 cuts scab over I try out that bio oil.Thanks again for all the advice

mr potato head

As Traumadoc said, the fracture healing time can vary...

I was out for 8 week with a scaphoid fracture. (thats small bone in your wrist just around the base of the thumb... I'm sure lots of board members know of it its a common cycling one )

The rehab time on wrists and arms can take a while too as the joints get stiff, sore and weak!

The road rash was healed on arm and leg in 2-3 weeks (think this can depend on skin type too...) and pink scar tissue is almost gone, the small head cut i got i can hardly see any more.

Good luck with the healing

SerialComplaint

BaBiT wrote: »

You could also try manuka honey on the cuts...Have a 6 month old baby that occassionally scratches himself at night and the manuka honey makes the mark dissapear in a few days...

I thought that babies and honey didn't mix well - risk of botulism and all that?

amjon

Right well just back from the doc there.All bandages removed,back in 10 days for an x ray.As for the cuts there is some slight redness left which is fading and some slightly off colour skin on on scar but I guess that will even out of the next few weeks/months.So all in all not too bad,should be back on the bike next week,ready to start getting my racing accreditation at the Manchester velodrome!

scottreynolds

Bambaata wrote: »

the GF raves about that stuff! Still have road rash marks on my arm from a spill a few months back so maybe i shoudl listen to her!

Make sure you tell her that she wasn't right at all.... the Boardies were.

BaBiT

SerialComplaint wrote: »

I thought that babies and honey didn't mix well - risk of botulism and all that?

You put it on him, not in him

SerialComplaint

BaBiT wrote: »

You put it on him, not in him

I guess you'd need to make sure it doesn't get wiped into the mouth, via curious fingers.