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). Make sure you pat the area dry afterwards.
It depends on the type of surgery you have had, but you shouldn't go swimming until: your surgeon, GP or physiotherapist has confirmed it's safe for you to do so. your wound has healed (it shouldn't be submerged under water before it's healed) – ask your surgeon how long your wound will take to heal.
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.
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.
After those first 48 hours, though, it's totally fine to get your stitches briefly wet via the light spray of a shower. But emphasis on "briefly" here. Dr. Yaakovian stresses that you'll want to avoid soaking or submerging your stitches in water for about four weeks.
Keep the wound dry
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.
"There is no data to suggest that a wound with stitches that is kept dry heals faster, has less incidence of infection, has less pain, or has greater . . . strength," said Noe. Allowing patients to wash their stitches has several advantages, he said. "First, it tends to make people less intimidated by their wounds.
Keep your stitches or staples dry and covered with a bandage. Non-absorbable stitches and staples need to be kept dry for 1 to 2 days. Absorbable stitches sometimes need to be kept dry longer. Your doctor or nurse will tell you exactly how long to keep your stitches dry.
If your doctor told you how to care for your cut, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice: After the first 24 to 48 hours, wash around the cut with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
Once the wound has formed a scab, there is no longer the need to cover it with a bandage as the scab now acts as a protective barrier. Keep the area clean, but be gentle so that you do not accidentally remove the scab.
Once the wound is clean, there are several techniques to speed up the healing process. These include the use of antibacterial ointments, turmeric, aloe vera, garlic, and coconut oil. A person should seek medical help right away if their wound is large.
Pain and swelling: Incision pain and swelling are often worst on day 2 and 3 after surgery. The pain should slowly get better during the next 1 to 2 weeks.
The first day: Keep your wound area dry for the first 24 hours after the doctor sewed in the stitches. You'll lower your risk of infection. Follow your doctor's instructions on when you can start cleaning the area and how to do it.
Covering Your Wound
Using waterproof plasters and bandages to cover wounds will help to protect them while you swim so that they can heal properly. Before applying a plaster or bandage, it's essential to clean the wound so that you're not trapping any bacteria underneath the plaster or bandage.
A greasy ointment, e.g. Vaseline, can be applied directly over the stitches twice daily. The wound should be washed prior to applying Vaseline. This helps to prevent and lift crusting; massaging gently over the wound may help to improve the appearance of scarring.
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.
Slight bleeding after suture removal is normal. If you have fluid leakage, bleeding that does not stop, redness, or the wound opens up, please contact us.
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.
In some cases the bandage can be removed after 24 to 48 hours, and the wound can then be gently washed to remove the crust. Do not scrub or soak the wound during the first 48 hours. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice: Keep the wound bandaged and dry for the first day.
If the wound environment is dry, the cells will have to find moisture deep in the wound bed so that they can migrate. This slows down the healing process. In fact, studies show that moist wounds heal 50 % faster than dry wounds.
Most types should start to dissolve or fall out within a week or two, although it may be a few weeks before they disappear completely. Some may last for several months. Ask your doctor about the type of stitches you have been given and how long they should take to dissolve.
The Steri-Strips will fall off on their own within two weeks. After two weeks, gently remove any remaining Steri-Strips. If the strips start to curl before it's time to remove them, you can trim them. Tissue glue: The glue should be kept dry and the incisions should be kept out of direct sunlight.
An individual with infected stitches may have: redness or red streaks around the area. tender and swollen lymph nodes closest to the location of the stitches. pain when they touch the stitches or move the injured area.
Suture scars fade slowly. A sutured area of skin may move less easily than the surrounding skin, creating a pulling sensation.