Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Taking care of your stitches at home
• Method 2 of 2: Medical Assistance

Sutures are usually placed on deep cuts and wounds, and also after surgery. So that after the stitches there is no scar left, they must be properly monitored and washed daily. Each person's skin heals at a different rate, and after stitches, scars or scars may remain on the skin. However, there are several ways you can try to reduce stitched scars and prevent serious scars from forming.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Taking care of your stitches at home

1. 1 Seams must be covered and kept clean. You may think that the wound will heal faster if you remove the dressing and allow it to "breathe". In fact, because of this, it will take 50% longer to heal. Moisture and dampness prevent scab formation and lead to a longer healing period or even infection. Cover the stitches with a dry sterile bandage while healing.
   • Your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or advise you to buy an over-the-counter ointment such as Baneocin or Neosporin. It will help prevent infection and speed up wound healing.
   • Cover the wound with a fresh bandage after each application. After a week, the ointment can already be replaced with regular petroleum jelly to accelerate the growth of new skin at the sutures.
2. 2 Buy silicone patches to help the wound heal properly. In order for the wound to heal faster and the scars to be smoothed out, constant pressure must be applied to the damaged area. This can be done with silicone patches (such as Mepiform, Cica Care or Mepiderm).
   • Most silicone patches can be cut to fit the size of the wound.
3. 3 Do not apply vitamin E or hydrogen peroxide to the wound. Despite popular belief, research has shown that vitamin E does not speed up wound healing, but slows it down. In addition, some people may have an allergic reaction to vitamin E. Instead of a vitamin E gel, apply a medicated ointment or antibiotic cream to the wound.
   • Although hydrogen peroxide can be used to disinfect open wounds, it is also known to disrupt the growth of new skin cells and slow healing.
4. 4 Protect your seams from the sun with sunscreen. Ultraviolet rays can damage sutures and slow wound healing. Apply sunscreen all over your body (including stitches) every morning.
   • Choose a broad spectrum cream with SPF 30.
5. 5 When the stitches have healed, start massaging the affected area. The massage will help break down the collagen clumps that have formed under the skin as the wound heals.
   • Apply lotion to the skin and massage gently in a circular motion for 15-30 seconds. Repeat the massage several times a day.

Method 2 of 2: Medical Assistance

1. 1 Remove stitches within a week. Talk to your doctor about removing the outer stitches until they leave behind marks that look like small bumps on either side of the incision. If possible, ask your doctor to remove the outer stitches after a week to prevent scarring.
2. 2 Talk to your doctor about laser therapy. The professional methods of removing scars or scars include targeted laser therapy. If laser therapy is performed on fresh scars (within 6-8 weeks after injury), the treatment will be more effective and the scars will be less visible. There are two types of laser therapy:
   • Vascular Laser: This is a non-ablative laser therapy that uses an intense and targeted pulse of light. The heat is then absorbed by the blood vessels in the skin and helps to improve the texture and thickness of the scar. It also helps reduce redness around the scar.
   • Using an ablative fractional laser: This is used to make several small holes in a scar.This stimulates collagen production and helps to reshape the scar so that it appears less visible. This type of laser therapy is recommended for small scars.
   • To smoothen the scar as much as possible and improve its appearance, you may need more than one laser resurfacing, the cost of which ranges from 3,000 to 30,000 rubles per session. It all depends on the clinic and the area of ​​the damaged area. If you have a small scar, it is best to look for a clinic where the cost of laser treatments varies depending on the area of ​​the area you want to improve. For example, if you have a scar on your cheek and it occupies 1 square. cm, then you will pay exactly for this area, and not for the whole face (or the whole cheek). In addition, in this situation, the damaged area will be much smaller. Depending on the laser, resurfacing can be quite traumatic. Before doing laser resurfacing, check with your doctor how long the rehabilitation period will take. You may need to play it safe and take a vacation at your own expense to spend some time at home.
3. 3 See your doctor if the stitch marks turn red, swell, or irritate. If you experience these symptoms, as well as a fever and pain around the stitches, see your doctor immediately. This can be an allergic reaction to an antibacterial ointment or the result of infection in the stitches.
   • The doctor must examine and clean the stitches to prevent further infection and to avoid complications.