A bandage can be used to protect the wound if it is at risk of becoming wet or dirty. It is important that this cover does not stick to the glue and pull the glue off the wound when it is removed.
A dressing is optional over the wound. If you apply a dressing, use only a DRY gauze dressing. Change the gauze daily or if it gets wet. DO NOT put antibiotic ointment on the wound, as ointment may weaken the glue.
Leave the skin adhesive on your skin until it falls off on its own. This may take 5 to 10 days. Do not scratch, rub, or pick at the adhesive. Do not put the sticky part of a bandage directly on the adhesive.
After your shower, remove the bandage. 24 hours until the glue has come off on its own, usually in 10-14 days. No special cleaning or wound care is necessary for your wound. Avoid using ointment on the glue or it will break down sooner and come off before it is ready.
Here's why we use skin adhesive instead of stitches:
It is less painful. There are no needle pokes. It is a faster procedure. Often, it does not require a follow-up visit, saving you another trip to the doctor.
Advantages of Medical Adhesives
Adhesives take less time than stitches. There is nothing to remove since the adhesive eventually breaks down and is absorbed (internally) or peels and falls off (externally). Therefore, it may be possible to avoid a follow-up appointment. There is a lower risk of infection.
Several recent studies involving children and adults show that certain wounds closed with glue heal just as well as those closed with stitches, and that the cosmetic results up to a year later are comparable.
The glue will gradually come off. If it has been there for 2 weeks, it starts to get messy and there is no harm in gradually peeling the loose glue off.
Doctors use surgical glue -- also called “tissue adhesive” or "liquid stitches"-- to close both major and minor wounds, such as lacerations, incisions made during laparoscopic surgery, and wounds on the face or in the groin. Benefits of surgical glue include: Lower rates of infection. Less time in the operating room.
No bandage is necessary. Do not apply any ointments, lotions, creams, or tape over the Dermabond film. This may loosen the film before the incision has healed.
Surgical glue[6] may be used for small incisions that don't require a lot of hold strength. Unlike other methods, the glue will dissolve and wear off over time, and does not need a medical person to remove it.
Chlorine dissolves the DermaBond. 2. You may cover your site with a band aid or non-stick dressing and tape, but do not apply anything to the site such as topical antibiotics, lotions, creams, or make up.
Wounds generally heal in 4 to 6 weeks. Chronic wounds are those that fail to heal within this timeframe. Many factors can lead to impaired healing. The primary factors are hypoxia, bacterial colonization, ischemia, reperfusion injury, altered cellular response, and collagen synthesis defects.
Butyl-2-cyanoacrylate adhesives
All of these adhesives are approved for use in conjunction with deep dermal sutures to reapproximate skin edges caused by surgical incisions or trauma lacerations and wounds. Indermil® and LiquiBand® also act as a microbial barrier during the wound-healing process.
Keep your wound clean and dry for 1 to 5 days. You can shower 24 hours after the skin adhesive is applied. Lightly pat your wound dry after you shower. Do not soak your wound in water, such as in a bath or hot tub.
A special glue (e.g. Dermabond) is another type of treatment used in hospitals and medical clinics to keep the edges of the skin together. It has the same effect as stitches, and only takes about a minute to apply and dry.
In some cases, noticeable scars can develop when skin glue is used, but research shows that they are typically thinner and more even than scars created from wounds closed with sutures, staples and adhesive strips.
It has several disadvantages, including iatrogenic trauma to the tissue, pain, increased risk of infection and inflammation, delayed healing, and inability to provide an immediate seal.
Good incision care can help ensure that it heals well and infection doesn't develop. In most cases, a surgical incision heals in about two weeks. More complex surgical incisions will take longer to heal. If you have other medical conditions or are taking certain medications, your healing time may differ.
You may notice a small amount of blood on the edges of the dressing the first day and this is normal. If bleeding is persistent and soils the dressing, apply firm, steady pressure over the dressing with gauze for 20 minutes. If bleeding continues, hold pressure for an additional 20 minutes.
Disadvantages of skin glues
In studies, 4% of wounds reopen with skin glues compared to 1–2% with sutures.
A special glue (e.g. Dermabond) is another type of treatment used in hospitals and medical clinics to keep the edges of the skin together. It has the same effect as stitches, and only takes about a minute to apply and dry.