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• If NOT, try one of these: Skin Injury
• If NOT, try one of these: Wound Infection

Suture or Staple Questions

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Is this your symptom?

• This topic covers common questions about sutures (stitches) and staples

Some Basics...

• Stitches and staples are used to keep wounds together during healing.
• They need to be removed within 4-14 days. The specific removal date depends on the location of the stitches or staples. Removal should not be delayed.

When Should Sutures or Staples Get Removed?

Here are some general guidelines for when stitches or staples should be removed.

• Face: 4-5 days
• Neck: 7 days
• Scalp: 7-10 days
• Chest, stomach, and back: 7-10 days
• Arms and back of hands: 7 days
• Legs and top of feet: 10 days
• Fingers and toes: 10-14 days
• Palms and soles: 12-14 days
• Over a joint: 12-14 days

Is It Normal for the Skin to Feel Numb Around the Sutures or Staples?

There are three reasons why the skin near sutures or staples might feel numb.

• Local Anesthesia: the doctor may have injected the skin to make it numb. This way there is no pain when the doctor puts in sutures or staples. How long this lasts depends on what type of local anesthesia was used. Numbness can last from 1-8 hours.
• Numbness from the Cut Itself: some people have numbness after getting a cut. There is numbness just along the edges of the wound. This is from cutting nearby tiny nerves at the same time. Numbness can last 1-3 weeks. These tiny nerves will grow back in 2-3 weeks. The numbness will go away.
• Nerve Injury: sometimes a cut can be deep enough that it cuts a larger nerve. Numbness that is not just around the wound and that lasts more than 8 hours is a clue. For example, numbness that does not go away, just on one side of a cut finger may mean there has been a digital nerve injury. A person with a possible nerve injury should see his or her doctor.

When to Call for Suture or Staple Questions

Call Doctor or Seek Care Now

• Severe pain in the wound
• Bleeding that won't stop after 10 minutes of direct pressure
• Stitch (or staple) came out early and wound has re-opened
• Wound looks infected (spreading redness, pain) and large red area
• Wound looks infected (spreading redness, pain) and on face
• Red streak runs from the wound
• You feel weak or very sick
• You think you need to be seen, and the problem is urgent

Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours

• Stitch (or staple) came out early and wound is still closed
• Overdue to have stitches (or staples) removed
• Wound looks infected (spreading redness, pus)
• Pain or tenderness of the wound worsens after 48 hours
• You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent

Contact Doctor During Office Hours

• Numbness goes beyond the wound edges and lasts more than 8 hours
• You have other questions or concerns

Self Care at Home

• Stitched or stapled wound with no other problems

Care Advice

Stitched or Stapled Wound

1. What You Should Know:
   • Stitches and staples need to be removed within 4-14 days. The specific removal date depends on the location of the stitches or staples. Removal should not be delayed.
   • You should take care of stitched or stapled wounds at home.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Treatment - Normal Stitched or Stapled Wound:
   • Keep the wound dry for the first 24 hours. Use a sponge bath, if needed.
   • After 24 hours, it is OK to take a short shower.
   • Avoid direct pressure of water on the wound. Gently pat the wound dry with a towel.
   • Apply a small amount of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) on the wound daily. You can buy this at the store. This helps protect the wound and limits scarring. Exception: if your doctor recommended an antibiotic ointment, use that instead.
   • Clean the wound with warm water 1 time per day or if it gets dirty.
   • Change the wound dressing if it gets wet or dirty.
   • You do not need a dressing after the edges of the wound have closed. This most often happens after 48 hours. You may still need a dressing to stop stitches from catching on your clothing.
   • Avoid baths and swimming until the sutures are removed. Water can interfere with healing.
3. When Should Stitches or Staples Be Removed? Your doctor will have told you when to get your stitches removed. Here are some general guidelines for when stitches or staples should be taken out:
   • Face: 4-5 days
   • Neck: 7 days
   • Scalp: 7-10 days
   • Chest or stomach: 7-10 days
   • Arms and back of hands: 7-10 days
   • Legs and top of feet: 10 days
   • Back: 10 days
   • Palms and soles: 12-14 days
   • Over a joint: 12-14 days
4. What Happens If You Leave Stitches (or Staples) in Too Long?
   • Get your stitches out at the right time.
   • Stitches that are left in too long can leave skin marks and sometimes cause scarring. Delays also make it harder to take the stitches out.
5. What Happens If Stitches (or Staple) Fall Out Early?
   • If the stitches or staples come out early, the wound might open up.
   • You can reinforce the wound with tape or butterfly adhesive bandages (Band-Aids).
   • Call your doctor.
6. Treatment - After Your Stitches (or Staples) Have Been Removed:
   • Protect the wound from injury during the next month.
   • Avoid sports that could re-injure the wound. If you must play a sport, put tape on the wound before playing.
   • Let the scab fall off on its own. Do not try to remove it.
7. Pain Medicine:
   • You can take one of the following drugs if you have pain: acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve).
   • They are over-the-counter (OTC) pain drugs. You can buy them at the drugstore.
   • Use the lowest amount of a drug that makes your pain feel better.
   • Acetaminophen is safer than ibuprofen or naproxen in people over 65 years old.
   • Read the instructions and warnings on the package insert for all medicines you take.
8. Call Your Doctor If:
   • Wound looks infected
   • Fever
   • Pain or tenderness at the wound site worsens after 48 hours
   • Stitches or staples come out early
   • You think you need to be seen
   • You get worse

Preventing Scars

1. What You Should Know:
   • Scarring is a natural part of the healing process after a cut or wound.
   • Serious injuries and larger wounds are more likely to have scarring.
   • Most cuts that need stitches, staples, or skin glue will have some scarring.
   • Some people are more likely than others to get scars.
   • Here is some care advice that should help.
2. Prevention:
   • Be certain to get the stitches removed when your doctor told you to. If you leave them in too long, they can leave marks.
   • Avoid getting sunburn on the wound area for 2 months.
   • Avoid re-injuring this area.

And remember, contact your doctor if you develop any of the 'Call Your Doctor' symptoms.

Disclaimer: this health information is for educational purposes only. You, the reader, assume full responsibility for how you choose to use it.

Last Reviewed: 10/11/ 1:01:06 AM Last Updated: 4/13/ 1:00:47 AM

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Steri-Strips are thin adhesive bandages often used by surgeons as a backup to dissolvable stitches or after regular stitches are removed.

They&#;re also available for purchase in local pharmacies for self-care. You can use them to help close shallow cuts or wounds, but it&#;s important to seek medical treatment for severe injuries.

Steri-Strips are also called butterfly stitches or butterfly bandages when they are thin in the middle and have two wide, sticky areas at each end, like the wings of a butterfly. But not all Steri-Strips look like this. The type most commonly used by surgeons are straight, thin strips.

If you&#;re not sure how to take care of Steri-Strips, or how to apply them or remove them, this article will walk you through all the details you need to know.

When are Steri-Strips used?

Steri-Strips are typically used for cuts or wounds that aren&#;t too severe, or for minor surgery.

They help seal wounds by pulling the two sides of the skin together without making any contact with the actual wound. This reduces the chance of introducing any bacteria or other substances into the cut.

Steri-Strips are sometimes a better option than regular stitches because they don&#;t need to be sewn into the skin and can be easily removed when the wound heals.

When considering whether to use Steri-Strips to close a wound, you&#;ll want to ask yourself the following questions:

• Are the edges of the wound straight? Steri-Strips are best for shallow cuts that have straight, clean edges.
• Is the bleeding light and manageable? Use a sterile cloth to put pressure on the cut for at least 5 minutes. Don&#;t use Steri-Strips if the cut is still bleeding after 5 minutes.
• Is the wound less than a 1/2 inch in length? Steri-Strips aren&#;t recommended for cuts that are a 1/2 inch or longer.
• Is it in an area where the skin doesn&#;t move a lot? Steri-strips may not work well on joints or other areas where it may have trouble staying in place.

How to apply

Typically, your doctor or surgeon will apply Steri-Strips after surgery or treatment for an injury. But you may need to apply them at home if you can&#;t get medical care right away.

Steps to applying a Steri-Strip

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and gentle, unscented soap.
2. Wash out the wound to get rid of dirt or bacteria. Use cool, clean water and gentle, unscented soap.
3. Pat the area completely dry with a clean cloth or towel.
4. Use your fingers to gently push the two sides of the wound together as far as you comfortably can.
5. Put each half of the Steri-Strip over the two sides of the cut so that it holds the wound together. Start with one side, then pull the other half over to help close the wound. Stick the second half of the Steri-Strip on the other side of the wound. Don&#;t apply it in the same direction as the cut.
6. Repeat these steps for as many Steri-Strips as you need to completely close the wound. Each Steri-Strip should be about 1/8 inches away from the next one.
7. Put another bandage along the ends of the Steri-Strips on each side of the wound to help hold down the sticky edges of each strip.

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How to care for Steri-Strips

Once a Steri-Strip has been applied to a wound, it&#;s important to take good care of it.

Do&#;s and Don&#;ts

• DO make sure the wound and the surrounding skin stays clean.
• DO make sure the Steri-Strip area is kept dry for at least 24 to 48 hours; be sure to take special care when bathing or showering.
• DO trim away any edges of the Steri-Strip that come loose. Use a pair of scissors to do this.
• DO inspect the wound every day to make sure there&#;s no sign of infection.
• DON&#;T pull on the loose ends of a Steri-Strip. This can cause the wound to reopen.
• DON&#;T rub or pick at the area, as this could introduce bacteria or open the wound up again.

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How to remove

If a doctor or surgeon applied Steri-Strips to your wound, you can simply wait for the strips fall off when they&#;re ready.

If you applied Steri-Strips to your own minor wound and it has healed, here&#;s how to safely remove the strips:

Steps to removing a Steri-Strip

1. Make a solution consisting of equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide.
2. Soak the Steri-Strip area in this solution to loosen the adhesive&#;s grip on your skin.
3. Gently pull the Steri-Strip off. Don&#;t pull too hard if it&#;s not lifting off easily, as this could rip off skin or open the cut again.

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When to seek medical care

Seek immediate medical attention if a wound:

• won&#;t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of applying pressure
• was caused by something unclean or rusty
• is too deep or long to be covered by Steri-Strips
• causes intense pain
• is filled with dirt that you can&#;t clean out
• is in a joint you can&#;t move &#; this may mean a nerve, muscle, or tendon has been injured

Also be sure to keep a close eye on the wound once a Steri-Strip has been applied. Get medical care right away if you notice the wound:

• won&#;t stop bleeding
• becomes red, swollen, or filled with pus
• becomes more painful

The bottom line

Steri-Strips are often a good backup or alternative to regular stitches if a wound isn&#;t too deep or severe.

But, like stitches or other types of wound closures, they need to be applied and removed correctly. You also need to pay careful attention to them while they&#;re helping a wound to heal.

It&#;s also important to keep an eye on your wound and to get care if doesn&#;t stop bleeding, or shows signs of infection.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website How Much Does a Stapler Cost.