Chlorhexidine binds strongly to the skin and tissues.
Chlorhexidine is cytotoxic to fibroblasts which are the creators of the connective tissue essential to wound healing. It is toxic to human tissue cells at the same concentrations it is toxic to bacteria. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3238890
Chlorhexidine’s activity lasts at least 48 hours but substantially longer periods (4 weeks) have been reported (substantivity) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3834637/
Chlorhexidine causes protein accumulation in the endoplasmatic reticulum which leads to ER stress and cell death, either by apoptosis or necrosis. This has been seen in fibroblasts. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19027770