Treating stitches mostly comes down to keeping the wound clean, dry, and protected while your body heals underneath. Most stitches require daily care for one to two weeks before they’re removed or dissolve on their own. The specifics depend on where your stitches are, what type you have, and how large the wound is.
Cleaning Your Stitches
You can shower 24 hours after getting stitches, unless your doctor gave you different instructions. Use mild soap and let water run gently over the wound rather than scrubbing it directly. Pat the area dry with a clean towel afterward. Avoid rubbing, which can irritate the wound edges or pull at the sutures.
The key rule is showers only, no soaking. Baths, swimming pools, hot tubs, and any standing water introduce bacteria and soften the tissue holding your stitches in place. Stick to brief showers until the stitches come out.
What to Put on the Wound
A thin layer of plain petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) keeps the wound moist and promotes healing. Many people assume antibiotic ointments like Neosporin are better, but research published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found no advantage over plain petroleum jelly for preventing infection. In fact, antibiotic ointments containing neomycin and bacitracin are known to cause contact dermatitis, meaning they can actually irritate the wound. The infection rate for clean surgical wounds is under 1%, so topical antibiotics aren’t necessary for most stitched wounds.
After applying ointment, cover the area with a clean bandage or gauze. Change it at least once a day, or whenever it gets wet or dirty. Your doctor may tell you to leave the wound uncovered after the first few days if it’s healing well.
Activity Restrictions
Physical strain near the wound site is the fastest way to pop a stitch. Avoid stretching, lifting, or any movement that pulls on the area. If your stitches are on a joint like a knee or elbow, limit bending as much as possible for the first several days. For children, this means no sandpits, bike riding, or rough play until the stitches are out.
Even after stitches are removed, the skin underneath is still fragile. Continue avoiding pressure or strain on the area for at least a few more days to let the healing tissue strengthen.
How Long Stitches Stay In
Standard stitches that need to be removed typically stay in for about two weeks. Facial stitches often come out sooner, sometimes within five to seven days, to reduce visible scarring. Stitches over joints or on the hands and feet may stay longer because those areas experience more tension and movement.
Dissolvable stitches work on a different timeline. Depending on the material your surgeon used, they can take anywhere from 42 days to over 8 months to fully absorb. You’ll often see the visible portion fall away or dissolve within a few weeks, while the deeper layers continue breaking down inside. If a dissolvable stitch pokes through the skin and bothers you, don’t pull it. Your doctor can trim it.
Recognizing an Infection
Some redness and mild swelling directly around the wound is normal in the first few days. What’s not normal is redness that spreads beyond the edges of the incision, or any of these signs:
- Discharge: thick, cloudy, white or cream-colored fluid coming from the wound
- Odor: a noticeable smell from the incision site
- Warmth: the skin around the wound feels hot to the touch
- Increasing pain: tenderness that gets worse rather than better over the first few days
- Fever: a temperature above 101°F (38.4°C), especially with chills or sweating
Wound infections are uncommon with proper care, but they escalate quickly when they do occur. If you notice any combination of these signs, contact your doctor rather than waiting it out.
When Stitches Open or Break
A wound reopening after it’s been stitched is called dehiscence. The signs are straightforward: bleeding from the wound, a broken or missing stitch, swelling, and a sensation of pulling or ripping at the incision. Even a single broken suture is worth a call to your surgeon, because a small opening can widen under normal movement.
The most serious complication is rare but important to know about. After abdominal surgery, a fully reopened wound can allow internal tissue to push through the incision. This is a medical emergency requiring immediate care. For stitches on arms, legs, or the face, the risks are lower, but any reopening still needs professional evaluation to decide whether re-stitching is needed.
Caring for the Scar After Removal
Once your stitches come out, scar management starts immediately. Two approaches have solid evidence behind them:
Silicone sheets or gel. Applied after the wound has fully closed, silicone products are one of the most studied scar treatments. Research shows that 12 hours of daily application is well tolerated and effective, while wearing them around the clock can cause skin maceration. Most of the scar improvement happens within the first two months, with only minor additional benefit at three months.
Paper tape. Taping across the scar line reduces tension on the healing skin, which is one of the main drivers of scar widening. Taping typically starts right after stitches are removed and continues for about 12 weeks for best results. Replace the tape whenever it peels or gets wet.
New scars are also more vulnerable to sun damage, which can darken them permanently. Keep the area covered or use sunscreen whenever it’s exposed for at least several months after the wound closes.