A device and method is disclosed for the treatment of early stage wounds, i.e. those wounds that have resulted in little or no breach of the skin tissue. The invention utilizes non-ablative laser or non-coherent electromagnetic radiation applied to a stage one or two wound to stimulate wound healing, destroy viral and bacterial bodies, and prevent the development of such wounds into higher stage wounds. An appropriate wavelength is chosen from the range of 193 nm to 10.6 microns, and is delivered at a power density of about at least 1 W/cm.sup.2 over a predetermined treatment duration typically in the range of 1 second to 3 minutes. To achieve the desired energy density, radiation is typically delivered at a power between 1 Watt and 15 Watts, with an average power of 5 10 Watts. Early stage wounds that can be addressed with this invention include but are not limited to spider or other insect bites, bee stings, rashes, eczema, psoriasis, and poison ivy. The present invention is especially useful for patients with a compromised ability to heal or stave off infection due to diabetes or other conditions.