Suture Care

How to care for your sutures.

What Are Sutures?

A suture is a stitch or a row of stitches holding together the edges of a wound. Sutures can sometimes be called stitches. It is important to care for your sutures to help the healing process.

Keep the Wound Dry

  • It is important to keep your wound dry, especially for the first 24 hours. The wound needs time to heal and moisture will slow this down.
  • After the first 24 hours you can wet the wound for a short time, for example in the shower. Pat the wound dry immediately after it gets wet.
  • Do not soak the wound or swim until the sutures have been removed.
  • If your sutures are also dressed with bandages, follow the care instructions given by your practitioner.

Keep the Wound Clean

  • Keep your wound clean and dirt free.
  • Avoid any activities that may put strain on the area that has been sutured. This could lead to sutures coming apart.

The Healing Process

  • Do not pick covering dressings.
  • Do not pick scabs. They will fall off once the wound is healed or when the sutures are removed.
  • A slight ooze may occur when the suturing is removed. This is normal.
  • It is normal for the scar to be red in color initially, but this will fade over the next few months.

Signs of Infection

A wound may become infected. Signs of infection are:

  • Fever within 48 hours of suturing
  • Redness
  • Swelling
  • Increased pain
  • Excessive or persistent ooze
  • Pus or smelly discharge.

If you are concerned about possible signs of infection or have any other concerns visit your GP or Emergency Department.

Pain Relief

If you have mild pain, consider taking paracetamol or ibuprofen and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Removal of Sutures

  • If sutures fall out before their removal date, see your doctor.
  • Your GP may be able to remove the sutures.
Wound Location Timing of Removal
Face 3-5 days
Arms 7-10 days
Torso 10-14 days
Legs 10-14 days
Hands / Feet 10-14 days

Removing Your Own Sutures

  1. Gather your suture removal pack.
  2. Wash hands and apply alcohol based hand sanitizer.
  3. Don gloves.
  4. Open all the packages.
  5. Wipe the area with an alcohol wipe.
  6. Using the tweezers, pull gently up on each knot.
  7. Slip the scissors into the loop, and snip the stitch.
  8. Gently tug on the thread until the suture slips through your skin and out. You may feel slight pressure during this, but removing stitches is rarely painful. Do not pull the knot through your skin. This could be painful and cause unnecessary bleeding.
  9. Once all the stitches are removed, clean the wound area with a saline wipe and dry with sterile gauze. If you have antibiotic ointment on hand, apply it to the area.
  10. Bandage the area.

Wound Healing and Scarring

Scars form as a normal part of healing whenever the skin is damaged. All cuts will heal with a scar, however, the scar will be less noticeable if good care is given to the wound when it is healing. During the first 6 to 8 weeks after the injury, the scar will change from a thick, red raised scar to a thinner, paler, more flexible one. Scars can take up to 2 years to fully mature. The final appearance of the scar depends on several factors including the extent of the original wound, inherited skin qualities and how well the scar was looked after.

Looking After Your Scar

Scar Massage

After the sutures have been removed from a wound, or around 2 to 4 weeks after the injury, scar massage can be performed. This should be done for 5 to 10 minutes, twice a day. Do not massage any scar that is open or looks infected. For the first 2 to 4 weeks, massage should be done along the same direction as the incision. The pressure applied should be enough to change the color of the scar from pink to pale, but should not be so firm that it is painful. After about 4 weeks, the scar can be massaged in all directions. Continue to massage daily until the scar is pale and thin.

Moisturizing

Moisturizing lotions such as Vitamin E cream, aloe vera, sorbolene or other non-fragranced products can be used to soften the scar and make massage easier.

Sun Protection

It is very important to protect the scar from sun damage, which can permanently discolor the scar. You should always cover the scar with at least SPF 30 sunblock, wear clothing that covers the scar and stay in the shade.

Daily Activity

It is important to avoid activities and areas that will get the wound dirty.

Problem Scars

A scar is a problem if it is painful or itchy, hard or raised, restricts movement or remains purple or red. Risk factors for problem scars include certain skin types, previous problem scars, or postoperative wound complications such as poor healing (greater than three weeks) or infection. Contact your GP if you are concerned that your scar is not healing as expected.

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