system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
[ELI5] Growing up my mother would tell me to take off my band-aids to let my cuts "air out." Is there any medical reason for this? I still do it till this day!
gpt
Scabs can't form if there is too much moisture on the wound, so the band-aid pad getting wet, say when washing hands or showering, or even just from perspiration can slow the scabbing process, and airing it out can help. The slowing down of scabbing and healing can can also happen form putting on something like Neosporin for too long after getting a cut. An initial dose will help prevent infection, but using for days can prevent the healing process from starting.