Treating an open wound is really just a simple procedure of ensuring that the wound is kept dry, free of any dirt, and free of infection. The depth of the wound is something of concern here, however. The depth of an open wound would indicate the level of damage that you have sustained and whether you would require more intensive treatment than some antiseptics and bandages. You could probably also require the use of stitches. When a wound occurs and the skin is torn apart too widely as is the case in a deep cut or split lip, you would require stitches or the skin would heal in a deformed manner; not to mention the problem of an infection for every minute that the wound is left open. Other type of wounds like a stab wound, which is deep but seemingly small at the point of entry could indicate damage to those organs below the skin. Such wounds affect even the muscles and nerves. If your wound was significantly deep, and if you have never had a tetanus shot, do so immediately by seeing a doctor.
The normal process of skin healing starts with the familiar process of clotting. The next stage is where the immune system kicks in by sending white blood cells to the zone of injury to clear out debris and bacteria that might have invaded into the body. The stage after this is where the wound is temporarily sealed and the capillaries are rebuilt. The final stage is when the collagen of skin is laid. Later by the death of specialized cells at the periphery of the wound, the skin is tightened over the area of injury to give it a normal look. Scars occur when the distance between the ends of the wound is too great for the collagen to be tightened over.
Treating an open wound first requires that you clean the wound and this can be done by bathing the area in some hydrogen peroxide to remove dead tissue and bacteria. Next, apply some tea tree oil as an antiseptic and cover the wound. The next thing that you have to do is allow the wound to dry and this should be done a day after the tea tree oil is applied. If the area of injury is prone to accumulating dirt leave the wound to dry for a few hours before bandaging it again. Once the wound is in the drying stage, just allow the body to rebuild the skin and you will be fine.