Okay, so the other day, I got a nasty paper cut on my finger. It was one of those really annoying ones, right in the bend of my knuckle. It stung like crazy, and I remembered that old saying about “pouring salt on a wound.” I got curious – what actually happens if you put salt on an open wound? So, I did what any curious person would do: I experimented (on myself, of course!).

The Experiment Begins
First, I washed the cut with soap and water. Gotta keep things somewhat clean, you know? Then, I took a deep breath. I grabbed the regular table salt from the kitchen – nothing fancy, just the plain old stuff.
I sprinkled a tiny bit of salt directly onto the cut. Oh boy. Let me tell you, it burned! It was way more intense than the initial sting of the cut itself. My eyes started to water, and I may have let out a little yelp. Not gonna lie, it hurt!
- Immediate Reaction: Intense burning, stinging sensation.
- After a Few Seconds: The burning subsided a little, but it still felt pretty uncomfortable.
I watched the cut closely. I didn’t see anything dramatic happen. There was no magical instant healing or anything. It just looked like a salty, irritated paper cut.
Waiting and Observing
I left the salt on for about a minute (which felt like forever, by the way). Then, I rinsed it off with cool water. The burning feeling returned briefly when the water hit it, but it went away pretty quickly.
After rinsing, the cut actually looked a little… cleaner? Maybe? It was hard to tell. But it definitely felt tender and sensitive. I patted it dry with a clean towel and put a bandage on it.

The Aftermath
Over the next few hours, I kept an eye on the cut. It didn’t seem to get infected or anything. It just continued to heal at the usual pace, I guess. It throbbed a bit more than I expected, probably because I’d irritated it with the salt.
My Conclusion
So, what did I learn from my little experiment? Well, putting salt on an open wound definitely hurts! It’s not something I’d recommend as a first-aid measure, that’s for sure. It might have some minor cleaning properties, but honestly, soap and water are much better options.
It’s an old wives’ tale. It stung for a while, but in the long run, it didn’t seem to make much difference to the healing process.
My advice? Stick to regular cleaning and a bandage. Save the salt for your food!