Cuts on the Face Closed With Stitches in Children: Care Instructions

Overview

A cut on your child's face can be on the chin, cheek, nose, forehead, eyelid, lip, or ear.

The doctor used stitches to close the cut. Using stitches helps the cut heal and reduces scarring. The doctor may also have called in a specialist, such as a plastic surgeon, to close the cut.

If the cut went deep and through the skin, the doctor may have put in two layers of stitches. The deeper layer brings the deep part of the cut together. These stitches will dissolve and don't need to be removed. The stitches in the upper layer are the ones you see on the cut.

Your child will probably have a bandage.

Your child will need to have the stitches removed, usually in 3 to 5 days.

The doctor has checked your child carefully, but problems can develop later. If you notice any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

How can you care for your child at home?

• Keep the cut dry for the first 24 to 48 hours. After this, your child can shower if your doctor okays it. Pat the cut dry.
• Don't let your child soak the cut, such as in a bathtub or kiddie pool. Your doctor will tell you when it's safe to get the cut wet.
• If your doctor told you how to care for your child's cut, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice:
  • After the first 24 to 48 hours, wash around the cut with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
  • You may cover the cut with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
  • Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
• Help your child avoid any activity that could cause the cut to reopen.
• Do not remove the stitches on your own. Your doctor will tell you when to come back to have the stitches removed.
• Be safe with medicines. Give pain medicines exactly as directed.
  • If the doctor gave your child a prescription medicine for pain, give it as prescribed.
  • If your child is not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if your child can take an over-the-counter medicine.