Keeping stitches dry cover your stitches when you have a shower, with a waterproof dressing – you may be able to use a rubber glove or plastic bag if they will cover your wound. have a wash standing in a bath tub, using a cloth to clean yourself and avoiding your stitches.
After your stitches, clips and dressings have been removed
You should be able to wash normally after your stitches, dressings and clips have been removed. It's usually better to have a shower until the wound has healed to avoid soaking it completely. Afterwards, pat your wound and the area around it dry.
Should you keep stitches covered? You'll likely leave the hospital or your provider's office with your stitches already covered, and Dr. Yaakovian recommends leaving them dressed for two to three days. During this time, avoid getting the covering wet.
You may shower (get incisions wet) 48 hours after your sutures have been removed. You can get the steri-strips wet at this time. After showering, simply pat your surgical site dry.
Keep the area clean and dry for the first 24 to 48 hours after stitches have been placed. Then, you can start to gently wash around the site 1 to 2 times daily. Wash with cool water and soap. Clean as close to the stitches as you can.
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.
Leaving a wound uncovered helps it stay dry and helps it heal. If the wound isn't in an area that will get dirty or be rubbed by clothing, you don't have to cover it.
Don't get your wound wet in the bath or shower.
You can keep your wound dry by using a cast/wound protector or using Press-N-Seal plastic wrap to cover the wound area then tape a kitchen trash bag over the wound/dressing. If your wound can't be protected, a sponge bath is recommended.
You may cover the cut with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a non-stick bandage. Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
Don't take baths or sit in a hot tub, as that can soften the tissues around the wound, loosening the stitches or the staples. Swimming in a pool in the hot Texas summer for a short period of time is generally safe, but some doctors advise against swimming until after stitches are removed and the wound is healed.
Until your wound is entirely healed, you may need to wear a bandage that supports it. Take care of a scar. After the stitches are removed, you may have a scar. Sunblock should be applied if the area is exposed to the sun.
The wound needs time to heal otherwise it could develop an infection or other issues delaying the healing process. The easiest answer to this question is comfy, loose-fitting clothes to let your skin and the incisions breathe.
Redness. The area may be swollen, sore, and red in color right after you've sustained your injury. This is normal as blood is being sent to the area to supply oxygen and other nutrients for healing. But if the wound is still red and swollen after five days, it's a sign that your body is not healing correctly.
These are the usual time periods: stitches on your head – you'll need to return after 3 to 5 days. stitches over joints, such as your knees or elbows – you'll need to return after 10 to 14 days. stitches on other parts of your body – you'll need to return after 7 to 10 days.
If the laceration is on your scalp, it is OK to shampoo and wash. Be gentle and avoid excessive exposure to water. Take proper care of your wound to help reduce scarring. Call your provider if you have questions or concerns about how to care for stitches or staples at home.
If you have sutures (stitches): -Apply Vaseline or Aquaphor healing ointment to the sutured site 3-4x/ day for the next three to four days. The ointment will help the wound heal more quickly and minimize scarring.
To help the injured skin heal, use petroleum jelly to keep the wound moist. Petroleum jelly prevents the wound from drying out and forming a scab; wounds with scabs take longer to heal. This will also help prevent a scar from getting too large, deep or itchy.
The original dressing should be left in place for at least two days (48 hours) (or as advised by the nurse/doctor), provided that the wound is not oozing. The wound must be kept dry. If the dressing becomes wet from blood or any other liquid it must be changed.
It's important to keep sutures clean and dry, especially for the first 24 hours. After 24 hours, you can wet the sutured area gently and quickly, for example in a sink or in the shower. Carefully pat the stitches dry immediately, as moisture can slow down the healing process.
Stay Dry. Yes, a wound heals better when it's kept moist under a bandage, but you don't actually want to get it totally wet. So when you shower or swim, change your bandage to a hydrocolloid or waterproof bandage, like a BAND-AID® Brand WATER BLOCK® bandage, to keep it protected.
Keep the wound clean and dry until it has healed. If your wound is closed but uncovered, you can wash or shower after 24 hours. Do not soak the wound in water and make sure it is dry afterwards (gently pat the area dry with a clean towel).
After 48 hours, surgical wounds can get wet without increasing the risk of infection. After this time, you can get your stitches wet briefly with a light spray (such as in the shower), but they should not be soaked (for example, in the bath).
A handful of studies have found that when wounds are kept moist and covered, blood vessels regenerate faster and the number of cells that cause inflammation drop more rapidly than they do in wounds allowed to air out. It is best to keep a wound moist and covered for at least five days.
The complicated mechanism of wound healing occurs in four phases: hemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling.