Should I cover my stitches?
September 2, 2011 8:44 AM Subscribe
To minimize healing time, is it better to cover stitches or not?
A moment of not respecting my Awesome German Bread Knife resulted in a trip to urgent care and 4 stitches on my middle finger. Fortunately no tendon damage, and only minor nerve damage. Knife is fine.
The doc said that I should only cover it for the first twenty-four hours, and then leave it uncovered. This is 48 hours out, and it seems to be happier covered with a band-aid. No bleeding/oozing at this point, no signs of infection, etc. The internets seem to give conflicting information about what is better. Anyone have a source of reliable information re the cover/not cover quandary?
A moment of not respecting my Awesome German Bread Knife resulted in a trip to urgent care and 4 stitches on my middle finger. Fortunately no tendon damage, and only minor nerve damage. Knife is fine.
The doc said that I should only cover it for the first twenty-four hours, and then leave it uncovered. This is 48 hours out, and it seems to be happier covered with a band-aid. No bleeding/oozing at this point, no signs of infection, etc. The internets seem to give conflicting information about what is better. Anyone have a source of reliable information re the cover/not cover quandary?
In my experience of being a total klutz (and not any experience of being a doctor), after the initial healing phase (24-48 hours, enough for the wound to no longer be gaping) is over, it's best to leave it uncovered. Let it breathe. Everything seems to heal faster and you don't get the nasty under-bandaid mush.
Even more so if your doctor specifically told you to leave it uncovered.
posted by phunniemee at 8:48 AM on September 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Even more so if your doctor specifically told you to leave it uncovered.
posted by phunniemee at 8:48 AM on September 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
3rding let it breathe. I got stitches last summer and they told me to come back and get them out in a week, but when I went back, they said that it hadn't healed enough because it was covered the whole time, and to let it breathe and give it a few more days.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:07 AM on September 2, 2011
posted by rabbitrabbit at 9:07 AM on September 2, 2011
I am not a doctor. I have nevertheless endured all manner of wounds in my five plus decades on planet earth.
Once a wound stops bleeding, oozing etc, all a bandage is going to do is protect it from various collisions, contacts etc that might reopen it. So yes, if you're being active, rubbing things, bumping into things, keep some kind of a bandage on your wound. Otherwise, let the air at it.
posted by philip-random at 9:10 AM on September 2, 2011
Once a wound stops bleeding, oozing etc, all a bandage is going to do is protect it from various collisions, contacts etc that might reopen it. So yes, if you're being active, rubbing things, bumping into things, keep some kind of a bandage on your wound. Otherwise, let the air at it.
posted by philip-random at 9:10 AM on September 2, 2011
The doc said that I should only cover it for the first twenty-four hours, and then leave it uncovered.
Do this. Though, obviously, if you're going to be handling something very acidic or alkaline, fine particulates, potentially infectious material, etc., wear gloves.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:19 AM on September 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Do this. Though, obviously, if you're going to be handling something very acidic or alkaline, fine particulates, potentially infectious material, etc., wear gloves.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 9:19 AM on September 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I worked in surgery all of the instructions were to keep it bandaged while there was oozing or while bathing (no soaking, period). After the oozing stops keep it aired out.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 9:20 AM on September 2, 2011
posted by Mister Fabulous at 9:20 AM on September 2, 2011
I'm having trouble finding good authoritative sources, but my understanding is that moisture can be helpful for wound healing, but *only* if you're able to rinse it and change dressings regularly. For a stitches I had, I irrigated the wound frequently with sterilized saline solution, and kept it covered with a frequently-changed cotton dressing.
One of the google results for 'skin healing moisture wound':
posted by Hither at 9:30 AM on September 2, 2011
One of the google results for 'skin healing moisture wound':
Prior to the animal model work of Winter3 and the human validation of Hinman and Maibach,4 it was widely accepted that successful wound healing depended on maintaining a dry wound bed. Subsequently, a paradigm shift toward moist wound healing has revolutionized acute and chronic wound care. It is now commonly accepted that a moist wound environment hastens the healing of both acute and chronic wounds and promotes the growth of new tissue.5-7 A balanced moist wound environment facilitates cellular growth and collagen proliferation within a healthy noncellular matrix.
...
The balance of moisture is critical to wound healing. In acute wounds, a balanced moist surface facilitates the action of growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines, thus promoting cellular growth and the establishment of a provisional wound matrix.3,7
From another standpoint, excess moisture in the wound bed can impair the healing process and damage the surrounding skin, leading to periwound maceration
posted by Hither at 9:30 AM on September 2, 2011
Another source: Preparing the wound bed 2003: focus on infection and inflammation
Note I am not a nurse, doctor, or medical researcher, so I'm not qualified to even say these articles are good or not. Just finding stuff for your consideration.
posted by Hither at 9:43 AM on September 2, 2011
are you going to be using the knife again? i would def. cover it for that...cutting open fresh stitches is WAY not fun.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:19 AM on September 2, 2011
posted by sexyrobot at 10:19 AM on September 2, 2011
Whenever I'm hurt, I always think my wound would be happier under a bandage. But at about 24 hours without one, I invariably feel like a bandaid would be scratchy trapping claustrophobic horribleness. Take it off per doctor's orders, feel a little uncomfortable for a day, and then continue on. Happy healing!
posted by samthemander at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2011
posted by samthemander at 10:27 AM on September 2, 2011
Definitely keep it uncovered, but also consider the moisture aspect from a non-bandage angle. If you use some sort of ointment -- NOT Neosporin, but a plain petroleum jelly-like substance (Vaseline is fine) or vitamin E -- it will help keep the edges of the wound from cracking, pulling in, getting dry, all that.
My partner had Mohs surgery on his face that left a four-inch scar. They sewed the stitches on either end into a line but left a jellybean-sized spot open in the middle to heal itself. Judicious application of the petroleum jelly (the doctor gave us a tube of the surgical version) really helped; we tried to keep it from getting crusty but leave it moist. We removed a little bit of the extra crustiness but didn't prevent scab formation, and it did very well. Now even the jellybean spot only looks like a small "regular" scar. The parts where the stitches were are barely noticeable.
Given the fact that you'll probably need to use your finger and cover it up after all, I'd recommend the Nexcare waterproof bandages. They're way more flexible than Band-Aids but have a better seal all around, so that moisture doesn't get in and give you that pruny look. You should also consider a finger cot, which lots of chefs use. Either way, though, if you don't need to protect it, leave it uncovered.
posted by Madamina at 10:34 AM on September 2, 2011
My partner had Mohs surgery on his face that left a four-inch scar. They sewed the stitches on either end into a line but left a jellybean-sized spot open in the middle to heal itself. Judicious application of the petroleum jelly (the doctor gave us a tube of the surgical version) really helped; we tried to keep it from getting crusty but leave it moist. We removed a little bit of the extra crustiness but didn't prevent scab formation, and it did very well. Now even the jellybean spot only looks like a small "regular" scar. The parts where the stitches were are barely noticeable.
Given the fact that you'll probably need to use your finger and cover it up after all, I'd recommend the Nexcare waterproof bandages. They're way more flexible than Band-Aids but have a better seal all around, so that moisture doesn't get in and give you that pruny look. You should also consider a finger cot, which lots of chefs use. Either way, though, if you don't need to protect it, leave it uncovered.
posted by Madamina at 10:34 AM on September 2, 2011
After about 24-36 hours, the gigantic stitched-up incision in my abdomen from which a baby was removed was left open to the air as much as possible. They remove the dressing (ow ow ow ow ow) and then you just use a light cotton pad to protect it/your clothes from any oozing or bumping when you need to. They also had me put some neosporin on it this time once a day after two weeks of healing because it was so hot out, they were seeing more incisions with infections loving the heat and sweat. (The first time, they did not; it was not so hot out.)
Anyway, twice now, let it air out.
You could always gently and loosely put a bit of medical gauze over it to split the difference while you get comfortable with it uncovered, and to help remind you to not bang it into things. Just don't get stuff stuck to it!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:42 AM on September 2, 2011
Anyway, twice now, let it air out.
You could always gently and loosely put a bit of medical gauze over it to split the difference while you get comfortable with it uncovered, and to help remind you to not bang it into things. Just don't get stuff stuck to it!
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 10:42 AM on September 2, 2011
To minimizes healing time it is better to take the bandage off. Leaving a wound bandaged can reduce scarring but prolongs healing time.
posted by bravowhiskey at 11:01 AM on September 2, 2011
posted by bravowhiskey at 11:01 AM on September 2, 2011
It seems there are too many variables to give a pat, yes-or-no answer. Wet and festering is bad, so avoid dressings that get wet and are not changed often. Minor trauma (knocking into things) is bad, so the covering is protective if you're using your hands a lot.
Another factor I've experienced many, many times: my skin - and my house - are so dry that I have to apply petroleum jelly and leave the bandage on, or healing cuts often crack, reopen and deepen.
posted by wjm at 12:10 PM on September 2, 2011
Another factor I've experienced many, many times: my skin - and my house - are so dry that I have to apply petroleum jelly and leave the bandage on, or healing cuts often crack, reopen and deepen.
posted by wjm at 12:10 PM on September 2, 2011
Response by poster: Alrighty.
Band-aid is off and a light coat of moisturizer is on. I have already broken out the padded goat gloves for working and rubber gloves for dishes.
Thanks much!
posted by rockindata at 12:49 PM on September 2, 2011
Band-aid is off and a light coat of moisturizer is on. I have already broken out the padded goat gloves for working and rubber gloves for dishes.
Thanks much!
posted by rockindata at 12:49 PM on September 2, 2011
A good compromise is to keep it covered during the day while you are using your hands to do stuff, and to leave it open to the air at night while you sleep.
posted by fancyoats at 6:38 PM on September 2, 2011
posted by fancyoats at 6:38 PM on September 2, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by griphus at 8:47 AM on September 2, 2011 [2 favorites]