Skin stitches are usually removed 5-14 days after surgery. The time varies according to body site.

Deep stitches are sometimes felt as small lumps under a healing wound. They do not need to be removed and are usually absorbed by the body over 3-4 months.

Healing skin requires up to 6 months to regain most of its strength.

After the stitches are removed

• A supportive skin tape dressing is applied directly to the wound
• Either Fixomul/Mefix/Hypafix or Micropore tape.
• Shower as normal. Leave the tape/strips on your skin for as long as possible.
• Additional tape from your pharmacy can be re-applied up to three months.

After 4 weeks (and only if the wound is healed and skin is clean and dry), using either:

• Vitamin E oil or cream – lightly massaged into the healing wound.
• Bio-Oil™ – (Twice Daily x 3 Months )
• Silicon based dressings.
• Strataderm gel- ( Once daily X 3months)
• CicaCare™ tape – ( Once Daily x 3 Months )

• Wound edges may be slightly red and is part of the normal healing process.

Call your Doctor if:

• The redness is increasing or spreading more than 1cm from the wound edge.
• The wound is becoming more painful or increasingly tender to touch
• There is pus in the wound