Severe road rash needs to be treated as a burn, which may mean reconstructive surgery is required. Skin grafting uses healthy skin from another part of the body. The donor site is usually an area easily hidden by clothing, such as the buttock or at the inside of the thigh.
The graft of healthy skin is transplanted onto the injured area and kept in place with gentle pressure and padded dressing, staples, or stitches. As it heals, new blood vessels grow to help new skin cells form and heal the wound.
While most cases of road rash can be safely treated at home and will heal on their own, more serious injuries may occur. Any road rash injury that is not fully healed within two weeks needs to be evaluated by a healthcare provider.