Your body heals a cut using a precise four-stage biological repair process.

Wound healing is a complex physiological process that begins within seconds of an injury. The first phase, hemostasis, involves platelets clumping together and the activation of fibrin to create a mesh-like clot. According to the National Institutes of Health, this prevents excessive blood loss and provides a temporary matrix for cell migration.The inflammatory phase typically peaks within 24 to 48 hours. During this time, neutrophils and macrophages migrate to the wound site to engulf debris and pathogens. These white blood cells also release growth factors that signal the next stage of repair to begin.Proliferation occurs from day 3 to roughly day 21. Fibroblasts produce collagen while angiogenesis creates new capillaries to supply oxygen to the healing tissue. This stage results in the formation of granulation tissue, which fills the wound gap.The final stage, remodeling or maturation, can last from 21 days to over a year. During this period, type III collagen is replaced by stronger type I collagen. The tissue eventually regains about 80% of the original skin's tensile strength, though it rarely returns to 100% of its pre-injury durability.