Black skin around a wound usually means the tissue there has died. That’s why black edges around an injury are on the short list of reasons to contact your provider right away.
Color matters with other wounds too. Contact your provider if a foot ulcer turns very white, blue or black. Wounds that are pale, purple or black are less likely to heal. Ulcers caused by poor blood flow (ischemic ulcers) can be dark red, yellow, gray or black. Pressure sores can be covered with dead skin that is yellow, tan, green or brown, which makes the sore impossible to stage.
Hard, dry black tissue is called eschar. If it’s dry, intact and shows no sign of infection, a clinician may decide to leave it in place, because it acts as a natural covering over the wound underneath.
That decision is made during an exam, on a wound that has already been checked. Black that is newly showing up around a wound is different: contact your provider right away.