How long should you use antibiotic ointment on a wound?
If you use a topical antibiotic ointment, such as Bacitracin or Neosporin, on any healing wound, apply it for only 24 to 48 hours and then switch to Vaseline or Aquaphor. This can be left on for approximately a week. Antibiotic ointments can irritate the skin and you don’t need the topical antibiotics after 48 hours anyway because the body in most cases has already placed a protective film over the wound.
