You'll likely need stitches if the wound: Bleeds enough to soak through a bandage. Keeps bleeding even after you apply direct pressure for 5 to 10 minutes. Spurts blood.
Many cuts or small wounds will heal well without stitches. If a wound is small and doesn't expose deeper layers of skin, it may not need stitches. If you aren't sure, it's always best to get it checked out by a medical professional.
You will need to get stitches to stop the bleeding, clean the site, and prevent infection. Perhaps your cut isn't even a cut at all, but an animal bite, a puncture wound, or an injury caused by a rusty or dirty object.
If the wound is spread open, it will heal by filling in from the bottom and sides. A wound that is not stitched may take 1 to 4 weeks to heal, depending on the size of the opening. You will probably have a visible scar. You can discuss revision of the scar with your healthcare provider at a later time.
Size: You need stitches when your cut is deep, more than a half-inch long, gapping, has ragged edges, or had debris inside of it. Bleeding: If you're bleeding through a bandage after applying direct pressure for ten minutes, you likely need stitches.
Super glue can be a viable option if used under the right circumstances (small and clean cut, not too deep and not infectious). If you choose to use household super glue or even over-the-counter adhesive products, do so with caution and full understanding of the risks, including infection and scarring.
Apply an antiseptic ointment. Cover the area with an adhesive bandage or gauze pad if the area is on the hands or feet, or if it's likely to drain onto clothing. Change the dressing and reapply the antiseptic ointment at least every day and whenever it gets wet or dirty.
Bleeding: Applying pressure on the wound should stop the bleeding. If the cut is still bleeding after 10 minutes of pressure, then it's important to seek medical care as soon as possible. Also, you likely need stitches if the blood spurts out of the wound or soaks through the bandage.
Cuts longer than ½ inch (12 mm) usually need sutures. On the face, cuts longer than ¼ inch (6 mm) usually need to be seen. They usually need closure with sutures or skin glue. Any open wound that may need sutures should be seen as soon as possible.
In general, you will need stitches or staples if your cut is wide, jagged, or goes deep enough through your skin. A cut will heal on its own without stitches or staples, but they help a cut heal faster and leave less of a scar.
Can It Be Stitched? Lacerations, punctures, and incisions are all suturable wounds (they can be stitched). Avulsions that still have a flap of skin attached may also be suturable. Complete avulsions and abrasions cannot be stitched, but you still may need a doctor to treat the wound if it's serious enough.
Incision without Stitches
In fact, there are still many stitches that are placed below the surface of the skin, but on the surface, Dermabond can replace stitches. I have been using more and more Dermabond, in procedures such as facelifts, breast augmentations, and tummy tucks.
When to stop covering a wound. You should keep a wound moist and covered for about five days. Change the bandage daily (or more, if the cut reopens or begins bleeding again). Reapply petroleum jelly with each change of bandage.
Contact a doctor if you have any of the following: Redness spreading out from the wound. Increased pain or swelling. Difficulty moving the affected area.
Fresh fruits and vegetables eaten daily will also supply your body with other nutrients essential to wound healing such as vitamin A, copper and zinc. It may help to supplement your diet with extra vitamin C. Keep your wound dressed. Wounds heal faster if they are kept warm.
Wounds need to be covered so that they can heal properly. When a wound is left uncovered, the new surface cells that are being created can easily dry out. When these important cells dry out, it tends to slow down the healing process. A wound should be covered using a clean bandage.
Mild bleeding usually stops on its own or slows to an ooze or trickle after 15 minutes of pressure. It may ooze or trickle for up to 45 minutes.
Most wounds that require closure should be stitched, stapled, or closed with skin adhesives (also called liquid stitches) within 6 to 8 hours after the injury. Some wounds that require treatment can be closed as long as 24 hours after the injury.
Healthcare providers sometimes use liquid stitches in place of traditional needle-and-thread stitches (sutures). They generally work well for smaller cuts that are clean.
Medical Glue
2-octyl cyanoacrylate (Derma+flex® QS™, SurgiSeal, FloraSeal and Dermabond) causes less skin irritation and increased flexibility and strength compared to traditional 'Super Glue'.
Superglue. If for some reason you don't have duct tape to make butterfly bandages, or the bandages aren't keeping the wound shut, superglue can be used in a pinch. Doctors actually use a product similar to superglue to close wounds. Medical glue, however, uses chemicals that are less toxic and more flexible.
“Both incisions and lacerations can be very deep and can cause a large amount of bleeding, and they usually need to be repaired by someone experienced in wound repair,” says Dr. Bharati. “They most likely won't heal properly on their own.”