Is safe to soak a open wound in epson salt? won't that sting and will it dry out the wound?

Do not: Soak your wound in anything but regular water. Keep it clean and covered and change the dressing at least once a day . Don't use any epsom salt, peroxide , or betadine.

Probsbly safe: However, as a wound care specialist I have never used epson salt in wound care. Wash the wound with soap and water. Apply antibiotic ointment and keep it covered. It is not acceptable to allow wounds to dry out.

Bad Idea: The real question is what not to do that slows down healing. Avoid using alcohol, peroxide, hibiclens, epsom salts, betadine, and bleach solutions. Inflammation ( red, hot, swollen, tender) is integral to healing so anti-inflammatories (motrin, advil) are bad. Cover with a clean dressing changed every other day and protected from trauma. Antibiotics do not help healing unless it is truly infected.