After the Procedure

Wound care after suture removal is just as important as it was prior to removal of the stitches. Take good care of your wound so it will heal and not scar.

• Keep adhesive strips on the wound for about 5 days. Then soak them for removal. Do not peel them off.

• Continue to keep the wound clean and dry.

• Skin regains tensile strength slowly. At the time of suture removal, the wound has only regained about 5-10% of its strength. Therefore, protect the wound from injury during the next month.

• Injured tissue also requires additional protection from sun's damaging ultraviolet rays for the next several months. The use of sunscreen during this period of healing is well advised for those areas that are exposed.

• The use of vitamin E topically has also been suggested to be helpful in the healing process of the damaged skin. This should only be considered once the skin edges are healed and are closed together.