Human wounds take significantly longer to heal compared to other animals, including chimpanzees, which are our closest living relatives. Researchers studied four primate species, including velvet monkeys, Sykes’ monkeys, olive baboons, and chimpanzees, to compare their healing rates.
A team led by Akiko Matsumoto-Oda at the University of Ryukyus in Japan created circular wounds on five individuals from each species, treating them with an antibiotic ointment. The results showed that all primate wounds healed at a rate of approximately 0.61 millimeters per day.
In contrast, human skin tumors that had been removed by patients at the same hospital healed at a rate of just 0.25 millimeters per day. This slow healing rate may be linked to the loss of body hair in humans, although the exact reason is unclear.
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2478414-our-wounds-heal-slower-than-the-cuts-and-scrapes-of-other-primates