I wonder about dryness and its effect on immune cells. Dryness can also kill certain immune cells, which can ultimately lead to a better environment for germs than if you had left the wound moist. My original source for this is a book on historical medicine that I can no longer remember, but a 20 minute literature check finds that modern wound care emphasizes keeping wounds moist (but not too moist, and not in all circumstances), both to prevent infection and promote faster healing:
I could imagine that handwashing is a similarly horseshoe shaped problem- too moist and you increase your hands’ habitability for germs, too dry and you make it easier for germs to permeate your skin.
I wonder about dryness and its effect on immune cells. Dryness can also kill certain immune cells, which can ultimately lead to a better environment for germs than if you had left the wound moist. My original source for this is a book on historical medicine that I can no longer remember, but a 20 minute literature check finds that modern wound care emphasizes keeping wounds moist (but not too moist, and not in all circumstances), both to prevent infection and promote faster healing:
Clinical and Financial Advantages of Moist Wound Management
Moisture and healing: beyond the jargon
Formation of the Scab and the Rate of Epithelization of Superficial Wounds in the Skin of the Young Domestic Pig
PREPARING THE WOUND BED 2003: FOCUS ON INFECTION AND INFLAMMATION
I could imagine that handwashing is a similarly horseshoe shaped problem- too moist and you increase your hands’ habitability for germs, too dry and you make it easier for germs to permeate your skin.