How To Take Care Of Your Stitches - WebMD

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Written by Donna SiegfriedMedically Reviewed by Zilpah Sheikh, MD on December 09, 2025

• What Are Stitches?
• Tips for Taking Care of Stitches
• Watch Are the Signs of Infection Around Stitches?
• When Should You Get Stitches Taken Out?
• Do Scars From Stitches Ever Go Away?
• Takeaways
• Stitches FAQs

5 min read

If you've had an incision from a surgeon or a deep cut from an injury, you've likely had stitches. You may even have some stitches now. Getting sewn up is just the start of your healing. To heal quickly and properly, you need to care for those carefully placed stitches. Here's how.

What Are Stitches?

Stitches, also called sutures, are threads that pull and hold your skin together. By closing a wound, they lower your chances of continued bleeding or infection. And stitches reduce scarring.

Just like stitches in clothing, they're made from various materials. Thousands of years ago, wounds were stitched using a needle made from bone and "thread" made from hair, pig bristles, silk, or hemp or other plants. Today, stitches can be made from synthetic material, such as nylon, or natural materials, such as:

• Silk
• Catgut (made from sheep tissue)
• Collagen (made from purified cow intestines)

Absorbable stitches dissolve over time and don't need to be pulled out. They are used inside the body because they break down naturally as the tissue heals. 

Nonabsorbable stitches are used on the skin or in areas that need long-term support because they must be removed later or stay in permanently.

The type of stitches your doctor decides to use depends on the location of your wound and how long the tissue around your wound usually takes to heal. Some stitches stay in for a few weeks, and others are meant to stay in place for a long time.

Tips for Taking Care of Stitches

You may have to wait at least a day after getting stitches before washing the area. Keeping your wound area dry for the first 24-48 hours helps lower the risk of infection. Follow your doctor's instructions on when you can start cleaning the area and how to do it.

Then, cleaning your stitches is allowed and encouraged.

Wash off dirt and the crust that forms around the stitches using soap and water. After washing, be sure to dry the area with gentle pats of a clean towel. Apply a petroleum-based ointment such as Vaseline or Aquaphor on the wound, and place a bandage over the top. Keeping the wound moist allows for faster healing with less scarring.

Here are some other tips on caring for stitches:

Don't scratch. Resist the urge to scratch so you don't pull out your stitches.

Don't swim. Wait until your stitches are out before you go into a pool, pond, lake, or ocean.

Do take showers. If you can, control the spray, and protect your wound in the shower. Use a softer setting if you can. When your stitches get wet, pat them dry with a towel.

Pass on contact sports. You should avoid bumping your tender area.

Stay out of dirty places. Avoid getting mud, sand, or paint on your stitches.

Watch Are the Signs of Infection Around Stitches?

As you continue to take care of your stitches, watch for any signs of infection. They include:

• Increasing pain
• Redness around the wound that gets worse — not better
• A red streak from the wound traveling outward
• Swelling
• Pus or bleeding
• A bad smell coming from the area
• Fever

Call your doctor if you see signs of infection. You should get treatment as soon as possible.

When Should You Get Stitches Taken Out?

Some kinds of stitches dissolve on their own. For stitches that don't dissolve on their own, you'll need to return to your doctor to get them taken out.

How soon you get your stitches out depends on the type of cut and where your stitches are located. Stitches that are over joints, such as your knees and elbows, usually stay in longer than stitches in other places. Your doctor will let you know if and when you have to return to have your stitches removed.

To remove your stitches, your doctor or nurse will cut the stitch at the knot and then pull out the thread. You might feel some tugging, but it shouldn't be painful. It takes less time to remove them than it does to put them in.

Do Scars From Stitches Ever Go Away?

To make scars less visible after having stitches, there are a few things you can do:

Protect yourself from the sun. Damaged skin is much more likely to be discolored by the sun for up to six months after an injury. Keep yourself covered with a hat or clothing as much as you can. Use sunscreen to lessen any darkening of the scar, but don't put any on until two weeks after the cut has healed.

Silicone sheets or gels. Products with silicone may help soften scars and improve the color if you use them at least 12 hours a day. Talk to your doctor before you do this, though.

Onion extract. Your doctor might suggest using a cream that contains this extract, such as Mederma. Onion extract may reduce the height and pigmentation of a scar.

Massage. Use your fingers to rub the scar in circles with medium pressure. This might help your scar soften and flatten faster.

Takeaways

Stitches (also called sutures) close wounds to prevent infection or scarring. They're used after surgeries or injuries that are deep, have ragged edges, or won't stop bleeding. There are a variety of materials used for stitches, some that your body absorbs and some that have to be removed by your doctor. Follow your doctor's instructions about how to clean and care for your stitches, as well as whether and when to return to have them removed.

Stitches FAQs

What's the difference between dissolvable and regular stitches?

Your body absorbs the material of dissolvable stitches, also called absorbable stitches. Regular stitches need to be removed after a period of time. Sometimes, stitches that need to be removed are colored, but not always. If you're not sure what type you have, check the discharge paper you were given after your injury or surgery. Or call your doctor's office to see if you need to schedule an appointment to have your stitches removed.

When does a cut require stitches?

You'll need stitches if your cut is more than a quarter-inch deep, has jagged edges, or keeps bleeding even after applying pressure to the wound for 15 minutes. If your wound is deep, over a joint, or on an area where you worry about future scarring, see a doctor.

How do you treat a minor cut at home without stitches?

Wash your cut well with soap and water. Stop the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound. Pinch the sides of the cut together. Cover with an adhesive bandage, butterfly closure, or liquid bandage.

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