The best medicine for almost any cut or superficial wound needing stitches is AIR. Covering your wound (and stitches) with a Band-Aid feels like the right thing to do. We have been so conditioned from our childhood to cover up our boo-boos, we subconsciously believe it’s just plain common sense.

As an ER nurse I have seen patients return to the emergency room with raging infections from their stitches. When questioned about their care of the wound, they would almost universally say, “I kept it covered all of the time to protect it”.

Here’s the bottom line:

Bacteria do not like air. Most microbes can’t multiply if they are exposed to air and, believe it or not, almost all tap water contains bacteria. Cleaning your wound with soap and water, then covering it up with a Band-Aid can be a recipe for disaster.

The healing process:

Remembering the word DRY will be the key to your success. The first 24 hours are crucial in the healing process. Try to avoid any excess exposure to water. A quick shower is fine. However, remember to use a clean cloth or a sterile gauze to dab the stitches dry. Then take a Q-Tip and apply a small amount of antibiotic ointment. Keeping the ointment applied often will also help the stitches and skin from feeling tight.

If your wound starts getting crusty, using hydrogen peroxide is quite effective. Just pour a small amount onto the wound, let it bubble up and dab carefully with a sterile gauze or cloth. Follow these steps three times a day for the duration of having your stitches or serious cut or wound not requiring stitches.

Exceptions:

The only time you should cover your stitches is when you are working in a dirty environment, otherwise keep it DRY…DRY…DRY.

What to watch out for as your wound or stitches heal:

There will be some normal redness around the stitches. This is just the natural healing process of your blood cells migrating towards the wound. But increased redness, swelling, or sudden onset of pain are signs of infection. A foul odor is also a sign, so use your nose! And of course, any type of discolored drainage, usually greenish, should be reported to your physician.

My best tip:

Last, I’d like to share my best “insider” trade secret that a plastic surgeon once shared with me after I was left with a huge scar. (And folks, I’m here to testify it absolutely works!)

After the stitches or staples have been removed, vigorously rub that scar with any type of moisturizing cream you might happen to have around your home. Expensive creams that claim to prevent scarring aren’t worth the investment because it’s all about keeping the circulation to the area flowing. So rubbing the scar and surrounding area will help stimulate better circulation to the damaged area and will substantially reduce scarring. So save your money!