A sore that does not heal

Category: Skin, Hair & Nails · All skin symptoms

What it can feel like

A sore that does not heal means a break in the skin — an ulcer, erosion or wound — that fails to close over three to four weeks of reasonable care. Skin that cannot heal is telling you something: about its blood supply, about pressure or infection, or about the nature of the sore itself.

Possible causes

A symptom can have many causes, and most are not serious. The lists below group conditions this symptom can be associated with — common causes first. They are possibilities to discuss with a clinician, not a diagnosis.

Common causes

Non-healing sores can be associated with venous leg ulcers (the commonest, above the ankle with swollen, brown-stained skin), pressure damage over bony points, minor trauma in skin with poor circulation, and diabetes affecting sensation and blood flow.

Other possible causes

A non-healing sore can also be a skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma classically appears as a pearly-edged sore that bleeds, crusts and never quite heals — or reflect arterial insufficiency, vasculitis, or infection that needs specific treatment.

Red flags — when to seek help promptly

A sore with a raised, pearly or rolled edge, or that bleeds easily — needs prompt skin assessment
A leg ulcer with rapidly increasing pain, redness or fever (infection)
Any foot sore in someone with diabetes that is not improving within days
A sore over a pressure area in someone immobile, deepening or exposing tissue
A sore that has failed to heal after four weeks of good care

What a clinician may do

A clinician will examine the sore and the circulation (pulses, and often an ankle pressure measurement before compression), review diabetes control, and arrange a swab if infection is suspected. Atypical or non-healing sores are biopsied; venous ulcers are managed with compression once arterial flow is proven adequate.

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Frequently asked questions

Why is a biopsy taken from a sore that 'should' be an ulcer?

Because a minority of chronic sores are skin cancers wearing an ulcer's clothes — and months of dressings will not heal them. A small biopsy from the edge settles it and redirects treatment; it is standard for sores that break the expected healing pattern.

How long should a normal wound take to heal?

A clean wound in healthy skin closes within one to three weeks depending on site and depth. Leg wounds with venous disease take longer with proper compression — but 'longer' is still measured in steady progress, not standstill. No progress in four weeks deserves reassessment.

Related symptoms — Skin, Hair & Nails

A mole that has changed A new lump under the skin Dry skin Easy bruising Flaky scalp (dandruff)Hair loss

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Please note: This page is educational information about a symptom. A symptom alone cannot diagnose any condition, and the causes listed here are possibilities, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about a symptom — especially one that is new, severe, getting worse or not going away — please see your own clinician, who can examine you and arrange tests. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.