How long stitches stay in depends mostly on where they are on your body. Face stitches come out fastest, usually within 5 to 7 days, while stitches on your chest, abdomen, or over joints may need 10 to 14 days. The timeline matters: removing them too early risks the wound reopening, and leaving them too long can cause permanent scarring.
Removal Timelines by Body Location
Skin heals at different speeds depending on blood supply and how much the area moves. The face has excellent blood flow, so wounds there knit together quickly. Joints and the torso take longer because they’re under more tension with everyday movement.
Here are the standard timelines for non-dissolvable stitches:
- Face and forehead: 5 days
- Eyelids, eyebrows, and nose: 5 to 7 days
- Scalp: 7 days
- Arms and legs: 7 to 10 days
- Joints (flexor side, like the inner elbow or back of the knee): 7 to 10 days
- Joints (extensor side, like the kneecap or outer elbow): 10 to 14 days
- Chest and abdomen: 12 to 14 days
These are general ranges. Your doctor may adjust the timeline based on how deep the wound is, how well it’s healing, and your overall health. The appointment for removal is usually scheduled when you first get stitched up, so make note of that date.
Dissolvable Stitches Work Differently
Dissolvable (absorbable) stitches don’t need to be removed because your body breaks them down over time. They’re commonly used for internal layers of tissue, mouth wounds, and some pediatric repairs. The most widely used type, made from a material called polyglactin (often sold as Vicryl), maintains its strength through about days 7 to 10, then weakens significantly by day 14. Full absorption takes several weeks to months depending on the material.
Even though they dissolve on their own, these stitches are sometimes reinforced with adhesive strips (Steri-Strips) on the skin surface. Those strips typically fall off within two weeks. If they start curling at the edges before then, trim them with scissors rather than peeling them off, which can irritate the skin.
What Happens If Stitches Stay In Too Long
Leaving stitches in beyond the recommended window is one of the more common mistakes people make, usually by missing a follow-up appointment. The main risk is scarring. When stitches sit in the skin for too long, skin cells start growing around and into the suture tract, the tiny tunnel where the thread passes through your skin. This creates a pattern of small dots or marks on either side of the wound line, sometimes called “railroad track” scarring. It also makes the stitches physically harder to remove.
On the face, where cosmetic outcome matters most and healing is fast, even a couple of extra days can make a noticeable difference. For stitches on the torso or limbs, there’s a bit more flexibility, but the same principle applies: don’t delay removal without a specific reason from your doctor.
Risks of Removing Stitches Too Early
Taking stitches out before the wound has enough strength to hold itself together can cause it to partially or fully reopen, a complication called wound dehiscence. When this happens, the scar that eventually forms is typically wider and more noticeable. In some cases, the wound needs to be re-closed or left to heal on its own from the inside out, which takes considerably longer.
The risk of reopening is highest in the first two weeks after removal, especially in areas under tension. Wounds over joints, on the back, or on the chest are most vulnerable because everyday movements pull at the healing tissue. If you notice your wound edges separating after stitches come out, contact your doctor promptly.
Factors That Can Extend the Timeline
Some people heal more slowly, and their stitches may need to stay in a few extra days. Diabetes is one of the most significant factors. It impairs blood flow to small vessels and slows the cellular processes that rebuild tissue. Active smoking has a similar effect, reducing oxygen delivery to the wound site. People with both diabetes and a smoking habit face the longest healing times and the highest risk of wound complications, including infection.
Other factors that can slow healing include medications that suppress the immune system (such as corticosteroids or drugs used after organ transplants), poor nutrition, and wounds in areas with limited blood supply like the lower legs and feet. If any of these apply to you, your doctor will likely schedule a later removal date or check the wound’s progress before deciding.
Children Often Heal Faster
Kids generally heal more quickly than adults, and their wounds tend to have lower infection rates. In a study of over 3,600 patients, children had more favorable cosmetic outcomes and fewer wound infections than adults, even with less aggressive wound cleaning. Most pediatric lacerations are on the head (86% compared to 38% in adults), which already heals fast due to rich blood supply. Doctors may schedule removal a day or two earlier for children, particularly for facial wounds, to minimize scarring on still-growing skin.
Signs of Infection to Watch For
While your stitches are in place, keep an eye on the wound for signs that it may be infected. The key warning signs are pus or cloudy drainage from the wound, increasing redness that spreads outward from the wound edges, warmth around the site, and new or worsening pain after the first day or two. Some redness and mild swelling in the first 24 to 48 hours is normal. What’s not normal is redness that keeps expanding, drainage that turns yellow or green, or a fever developing days after the injury.
An infected wound may need the stitches removed earlier than planned so the wound can drain, or it may need antibiotics. Either way, catching it early leads to better outcomes.
Caring for Your Wound After Removal
Once stitches come out, the wound is still fragile. Your doctor may place adhesive strips across the wound line to support it for another week or two. You can shower with these strips in place. Wash gently with mild soap and water, pat dry, and avoid rubbing or pulling at them. They’ll fall off on their own.
Protect the scar from direct sunlight for at least several months. New scar tissue is more susceptible to UV damage and can darken permanently with sun exposure. A thin layer of sunscreen or a bandage over the area when you’re outdoors helps the scar fade to a less visible color over time. Scars continue to remodel for up to a year, so the pink or red line you see at first will gradually become paler and flatter.