If your cut is extremely deep, is spurting bright red blood, has torn edges, is located on a joint, exposes muscles or veins, is bleeding profusely even after applying pressure, is located on the face or scalp, or contains an embedded object, you will likely need to go to an ER to get stitches.
Your risk of infection increases the longer the wound remains open. 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.
Without stitches, it may take 3 weeks or more for a wound to heal. Prolonged healing time isn't only a nuisance, it's also an infection risk. The risk of a wound infection continues as long as the wound hasn't healed. This is especially important to keep in mind if you have diabetes or you are immunocompromised.
If your wound is bigger than approximately ½ inch or deeper than ¼ inch, you should seek medical attention immediately, and you will need stitches. This size of cut is likely to bleed excessively and will need stitches to stop the bleeding.
Body Cuts and Over 48 Hours Ago.
After 48 hours, re-suturing is rarely done (except on the face). After 48 hours, the sutured wound can be reinforced with tape. Cut Is Closed, but suture has come out early. The wound should heal up fine without any further treatment.
The longer a wound goes without treatment, the less effective the stitches will be and the greater your risk of infection. Most wounds that require stitches need to be closed within 6-8 hours of the incident.
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.
A cut may need stitches (or other treatments) if: the bleeding does not stop after 10 minutes of applying pressure. the cut is long or deep.
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.
Skin adhesives are sometimes called liquid stitches. If the cut went deep and through the skin, the doctor may have put in a layer of stitches below the adhesive. The deeper layer of stitches brings the deep part of the cut together. These stitches will dissolve and don't need to be removed.
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. The glue is transparent so you can see the wound.
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.
It's normal for pain to accompany a wound. You can take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil) as directed on the package. Avoid aspirin products, since they can cause or prolong bleeding. Apply ice if you have bruising or swelling, and avoid picking at scabs.
Apply Antiseptic
For a smaller cut that doesn't need stitches, put antiseptic ointment and an adhesive bandage on it. An example is a butterfly closure bandage. You probably have one of them in your first aid kid. The dressing keeps the wound clean and prevents infection.
But the glue had two big advantages over stitches. First of all, it closed the wounds in a quarter of the time: about 3.6 minutes compared with 12.4 minutes. And patients reported significantly less pain.
The effective use of a new surgical adhesive tape, in place of thread sutures, to close skin wounds and major incisions was reported to surgeons at a seminar held in conjunction with the annual clinical congress of the American College of Surgeons.
Takeaway. For certain kinds of cuts, super glue can be an effective way of closing the wound for healing. Using the version formulated for medical use — as opposed hardware glue — will avoid irritation and be more flexible. If you have a deep cut that is bleeding profusely, seek professional medical attention.
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.
Leave the bandage in place and dry for 24 hours. When removing the bandage after 24 hours, and it feels like the bandage is sticking to your wound, pour water onto the bandage to get it wet and gently and slowly remove the bandage. If you rip the bandage off while it is stuck it can start bleeding.