Skin Wound Care:
o It’s important to take good care of the surgical site so that it has the best possible chances of healing well without a noticeable scar.
o Wait 24 hours before cleaning the area with soap and mild water. Make sure to pat dry the area. Do NOT rub on it.
o DO NOT soak/submerge the wound underneath the water in a bathtub, hot tub, pool, lake, stream, river, or ocean.
o Resorbable sutures usually dissolve and fall out 7-14 days after surgery.
o If non-resorbable sutures were used, they will be removed in the office setting anywhere between 5 and 10 days after surgery.
o Skin glue leaves a protective coating on the skin. The glue sloughs or peels off over the first 1-2 weeks after surgery.
o Skin staples are usually left in place 14-21 days.
o Use a light coat of antibiotic ointment (bacitracin, neosporin) twice a day for the first 3 days after surgery.
o After 3 days, please switch to plain Vaseline.
o You want to avoid letting a lot of scabbing build up.
o Use a q-tip with water to gently roll off any scabs.
o If you are having a hard time getting the scabs off, do your best and we will look at the area together at the follow up appointment.
o If things are healing normally, then we will review the use of a q-tip with a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide 50:50 and gently dab the dried blood (scabs) to help dissolve them and prevent them from building up.
o Avoid direct sunlight as much as possible and use sun screen or a hat whenever you are outside for the first 6 months after surgery. Sun burns are really bad for the healing process and can cause unwanted scarring.
o After 3 weeks of healing, if things are going well, then it is generally safe to start massaging the site with some vitamin E oil or cream. Over the counter scar products can also be started at this time.
o You can start using over the counter scar sheets at this time (3 weeks).
o A little bit of redness on the edge of the site it normal during the first week.
o If there is concerning redness or swelling or any drainage of foul-smelling liquid, please contact our office. You will need to be put on an antibiotic.
o Hypertrophic Scarring (abnormal):
o A scar that is thickened, wide, and often raised, but if isolated to the original injury/incision.
o Can develop 1-2 months after the injury.
o Can be treated with steroid injections and laser therapy.
o Keloid Formation (abnormal):
o A raised, thickened, widened scar that grows beyond the boundaries of the original injury/incision.
o Can develop months to years after the injury.
o Can be treated with steroid injection and 5-FU injection and laser therapy.
Oral Wound Care:
o The mouth tends to heal very quickly.
o Good oral hygiene can help with the healing process.
o You should brush your teeth twice a day.
o You should floss once a day.
o Gentle rinses with a mixture of water and salt should be started the day after surgery and should be done after snacks and meals for two weeks.
o If you were given an antibiotic mouth rinse, use this twice a day for two weeks.
o Sutures in the mouth are resorbable and usually dissolve in 7 to 14 days.