FACIAL INCISION AND SUTURE CARE
Incisions and suture lines are a necessary part of surgery. These lines take many
months to fully heal. Part of the healing process requires proper cleansing and care.
There is no guarantee as to what a scar will look like once it has fully healed, however
the following instructions are important to achieving optimal outcomes.
Initial Care
Keep your incisions clean. Apply Bacitracin ointment (or double-antibiotic ointment) 3
times per day after first cleaning the incision with a Q-Tip and a mixture of equal parts
hydrogen peroxide and water.
You may shower right away provided you place a thick layer of Bacitracin Ointment over
the incision and do not direct the water directly at it.
Do not immerse the wound in water (swimming, hot tub, doing dishes, bath) until at
least 14 days after your surgery.
Direct trauma and physical stress may result in a separation of the wound edges or a
wider scar.
Suture Removal
Depending on where your sutures are, they may be removed as early as 5 – 7 days
(face) after surgery, or as long as 2 weeks (hand and extremities) after surgery. Once
your incisions have healed, applying a simple skin moisturizer is recommended. This
aids in softening the scar and may alleviate any itching in the surgically treated area.
Good choices include fragrance-free moisturizers like Eucerin, Aloe-Vera, and Vaseline.
Vitamin E oil is acceptable, although about 15% of people have a local allergic reaction
to it.
Long Term Care
Scars take from 8 – 12 months to assume their permanent appearance. In general,
scars will only be assessed for surgical revision after this time period. In the 12 months
following surgery, you must wear a water-proof sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 at
all times when in the sun, or wear protective clothing. New scars are very sensitive to
sunlight and sun damage may result in permanent changes in scar color or quality.
Scar massage is an important component of long term care and is usually started 2
weeks after surgery (see Scar Massage information sheet).
Irregular Scars
Rarely, a scar will take on a nodular, bumpy, raised or thickened appearance; the scar
formation may be hypertrophic or keloid. If this should happen, please contact our
office. There are treatments that may be effective to flatten and improve the scar as it is
forming. There is no reliable evidence that starting scar treatments will make what
would have been a normal scar “heal better.” Therefore, these treatments are
recommended for patients with a history of problem scars or for those who are
developing a problem. However, if you wish to treat your scar we would recommend
ScarGuard, a topical treatment containing silicone and hydrocortisone.
Smoking
Do not resume or begin smoking after surgery. This can reduce the oxygen in your
blood and greatly impact your ability to heal. While it is advised for your overall health
that you quit smoking entirely, it is imperative that you do not smoke whatsoever until
your incisions have fully healed.
Prescriptions You May Be Given
___ Keflex:
gone.
___ Bacitracin:
___ Oxycodone:
___ Vicodin:
Antibiotic to prevent infection. Take as directed until all pills are
Topical antibiotic ointment. Apply as instructed above.
Pain medication, take as directed.
Pain medication, take as directed.