Scar care tips?

I guess I need some advice from experienced surgeons or wound care pros on how to handle these stitches. They're incredibly dry, they feel tight, and the itching is driving me crazy. There's also this massive swelling right underneath them. It looks okay visually, I suppose, but how do I actually take care of them so the scarring isn't just a disaster later? Maybe I should be applying something like Aquaphor to keep the skin hydrated so it doesn't feel so taut while healing? I don't know, I'm probably being stupid here.
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rapidcrane42 said:Can any experienced stitchers out there tell me how you handled your sutures? Mine are dry, tight, and incredibly itchy. The swelling is pretty significant—it’s sitting right below where the surgical screws are. Visually, it looks okay, but how do I care for them so they don't look like a mess later? Should I be using something like Aquaphor to keep the skin hydrated so it doesn't feel so tight while healing? I'm feeling a bit lost here.
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Don't bother rubbing anything on them or obsessing over it. At the end of the day, how a scar turns out depends entirely on the skill of the surgeon who stitched you up and just how bad the initial trauma or cut was. Personally, my scars are almost invisible now, but it took about two years to get to that point.
When you shower, make sure to cover the area with some plastic wrap and secure the edges with medical tape so you don't soak it too much.
Things will start looking better once the stitches are finally pulled out.

The second those stitches come out, start slathering on Contractubex !!! Seriously, just Google it—there's tons of info online about how good that stuff works. Good luck!

rapidcrane42 said:I'd love to hear from anyone who's dealt with stitches before—how did you handle them? Mine feel super dry, really tight, and they're driving me crazy with the itching. There's also some pretty significant swelling going on right under the incision line. Visually, it looks fine, but I want to know how to care for them so the scarring isn't quite so obvious later on. Should I be using something like Aquaphor to keep the skin hydrated so it doesn't feel so tight while healing? Honestly, I'm feeling a bit lost here.
😕

Honestly, you’ll be making the smartest move if you just skip all those fancy creams, because from what I've seen, most of them don't actually do much at all. Especially things like Neosporin or other antibiotic ointments.
Just leave it alone and let nature take its course; everything will settle down eventually, and you'll save yourself a bunch of money in the process.🙂

So, I went in yesterday to get a mole removed from my left wrist—just three quick stitches. My doctor gave me the green light to go about my business as usual today, told me to just keep an eye on it and stay clean. But here’s the dilemma: I’ve got a basketball game scheduled for this afternoon, and a stray ball flew right into my gym earlier. Can I just slap a Band-Aid over the site, throw a sweatband over that, and play through it? Please, if anyone knows, let me know ASAP because tip-off is at 3:00. Thanks.

So, I ended up with six stitches on my head just above my right ear this past Friday. I went back to see the doctor on Monday, and she told me I can leave the mesh dressing off while I'm hanging out at home, but I should definitely keep it on whenever I step outside. Is it actually necessary to wear the mesh if I’m getting the whole thing taken out next Friday? Like, after only five days, is there really any point in walking around all bandaged up? People are already staring at me because I look like I've been through a blender, and honestly, I'd much rather just throw on a baseball cap so nobody sees the mess. 😁

So, I had surgery over 20 days ago. It was a bone graft from my hip down to my leg. My primary care physician cleared out all the necrotic tissue from the hip area, and they just removed the stitches on my leg during a checkup. But here’s the thing: I noticed one stitch at the hip site is starting to poke out quite a bit. I'm a little confused because this thread is blue, but the stitches I had on my hip were white. Could these be internal sutures working their way out, or is this something else that needs to be pulled?

Also, the thread is sticking out about 1 or 2 mm.

I ended up doing some serious damage to my hand, and I’ve got stitches on two of my fingers from some pretty deep cuts. Now I’m looking at having them pulled out in about ten days, and honestly, just the thought of it has me totally freaking out...
Does it actually hurt, and if so, how bad are we talking?
If anyone here has been through this, please let me know what it was like, because I really need to brace myself mentally for this...

So, did seriously nobody bother to get their stitches out yet? 😁

Grace Sanders44 said:Has nobody taken their stitches out yet? 😁

Well, look—it really just depends on where they are and how tight those threads are pulled; it could be more or less uncomfortable depending on the spot, but it’s honestly nothing to worry about. For the most part, I barely even noticed them.

Gregory Turner71 said:Look, it really just depends on where they are and how tight things are, so it might feel more or less awkward, but honestly, it’s nothing to sweat... I barely even noticed mine.

My fingers on my hand, though I actually severed a nerve in one of them so I'm guessing there won't be much pain, but I'm lowkey freaking out about the other one... fingers have a lot of nerves in them after all...🤷

Grace Sanders44 said:My fingers—well, I actually severed a nerve in one of them already, so I’m assuming that one won't be an issue, but I'm honestly a bit worried about this other one... our fingers are just so incredibly packed with nerves.🤷

It really shouldn't be anything to worry about—honestly, I don't see it being a major issue.

Grace Sanders44 said:Finger issues. I actually severed a nerve in one of mine, so I'm assuming that one won't hurt—but this other one? It's a different story. The nerves in your fingers are dense. There's no way around it. Fear is a logical response here.🤷

It can't hurt. It’s not like they're pulling a drainage tube out of your gut.
Look, I’ve pulled countless stitches in my time. Honestly? None of them hurt. The only slight discomfort was when they were pulling the ones from my navel, believe me. But if you want to talk about the real nightmare, it’s when they pull the drain. It doesn't even "hurt" per se—it's just this revolting, skin-stretching sensation that's hard to describe. Compared to a drain, stitches are nothing. They're child's play.

Gregory Turner71 said:It shouldn't be anything too crazy...

If it actually happens, I'll let you know... hahaha...

Melissa Phillips4 said:I bet it doesn't even hurt... it's not like they're pulling a drain out of your gut or anything...
Look, I’ve had plenty of stitches pulled out over the years, and honestly, none of them even come close to being painful... except maybe that little sting when they were pulling mine out from my belly button, if you know what I mean. But let me tell you, nothing compares to having a drain removed. It doesn't even really "hurt" per se, it’s just this incredibly gross, unsettling sensation of your skin being stretched out... seriously, compared to dealing with a drain, getting stitches out is child's play...

Thanks for the reply... really helped settle my nerves a bit... 😁Honestly, people are just terrified of what they don't understand... I haven't even had the drain pulled yet, so how am I supposed to know what's actually going on... 🤷

Look, it hurt like absolute hell... I honestly don't know if it was because my nurse had such heavy hands and was basically ripping them out, everything was just bleeding everywhere, and then at the end she even tells me she isn't positive she got one out, so if it starts acting up in a few days I should call her back. I haven't let anyone touch my bandages since, I've been doing it all by myself and I made sure to mention how much it sucked to her every single day for a week straight...
The wounds I had were seriously deep, but for it to hurt more than when I actually got hit by a car? That was a total disaster.

Grace Sanders44 said:Look, it was painful as hell—but I have to wonder if that’s because I had a nurse who was just incredibly rough. She was literally pulling at them; everything was bleeding. To top it off, she actually told me at the end that she wasn't even sure if she'd managed to get one out, so if it started acting up in a few days, I should call her back. I never went back to her for dressing changes—I just did it myself and made sure to mention how much it hurt every single day for the week following.
In my case, the wounds were deep, but they didn't hurt nearly as much as the actual stitches coming out. It was a total disaster.

I'm really sorry you went through that. Honestly, when they used the saw to cut through my sternum—which, let's be real, can't go any deeper than that—I barely felt a thing when they pulled the sutures out. It sounds like you just ran into a nurse who didn't know what she was doing.

So, two days ago, I ended up with seven stitches in my hand—classic me! I had a little mishap with a bread knife, resulting in a cut right between my thumb and index finger, specifically down near the base of the thumb.

It’s actually pretty painful when the stitches aren't covered—sort of a constant ache. To deal with that, I've been using this medical tape they gave me at the ER.

https://www.mediplast.com/se/produkt...ning-suturtejp

I was wondering, though—when can I get back to washing my hands normally? Since it’s already been over 48 hours, am I safe to start doing a light wash now? Also, is it alright to keep this tape over the stitches for a bit longer?

Gary Patel said:So, two days ago, I ended up getting seven stitches in my hand. Total idiot move—I sliced myself with a bread knife. It’s right between my thumb and index finger, actually at the base of the thumb.

When there's nothing covering the stitches, man, it hurts. Like, really hurts. So I've been using this medical tape they gave me at the ER.

https://www.mediplast.com/se/produkt...ning-suturtejp

I was wondering, when can I actually start washing my hands normally again? Since it's been over 48 hours, can I maybe start lightly washing them now? And is it okay to just leave this tape on the stitches?

You definitely can't wash the stitches or the wound yet.
Honestly, you should probably keep it covered with gauze while the stitches are in and until the wound heals, otherwise you're just asking for an infection.