How to care for your wounds after a procedure
It is normal for wounds to be somewhat red, bumpy, and/or puffy during the first few weeks to months after surgery. If the redness of your wound starts to spread, you develop swelling around the area, you have increased pain, your wound starts to drain fluid or open, or you develop fevers, these may be signs of an infection and you should contact your doctor immediately. It is best to leave your wound open to air. If a gauze was applied after your surgery, you can remove it the next day. If you have a small amount of bleeding, a light gauze can be placed on the wound and you should hold direct pressure to the site for 20 minutes without stopping. Do not use any occlusive dressings (dressing that stops air from getting to the wound). Washing/BathingYou may wash and shower normally starting the day after your surgery. Be gentle: don’t scrub the area, and pat gently to dry. It is good to clean the wound site daily. If you have ‘steri-strips’ you can leave them in place. You can trim any loose ends. After 1-2 weeks, the strips may fall off themselves or will be removed by your doctor. Don’t submerge your wound in water: avoid baths/pools until the wound is healed, about 2-3 weeks. StitchesDepending on what type of stitches were used, they will either fall out on their own (clear stitches) or will be taken out at your follow-up appointment (blue stitches) at about 7-10 days. PainFor pain, Tylenol and/or Advil may be used. Keeping your head elevated will help as well. OintmentApply Vaseline twice daily or more to keep your wound nice and moist. It is not recommended you use Polysporin or other anti-bacterial ointment as it can cause skin irritation and kill the ‘good’ bacteria on your skin. MakeupWait until the wound is fully healed before applying makeup directly, about 2-3 weeks after your surgery. SunscreenWait until the wound is fully healed before applying sunscreen directly onto it, about 2-3 weeks after your surgery. Once your wound is healed, be sure to apply sunscreen directly onto the scar at all times. Scars exposed to sunlight can turn a brown colour that is very visible and permanent. This can be avoided by applying sunscreen to the scar diligently.
It is normal for wounds to be somewhat red, bumpy, and/or puffy during the first few weeks to months after surgery. If the redness of your wound starts to spread, you develop swelling around the area, you have increased pain, your wound starts to drain fluid or open, or you develop fevers, these may be signs of an infection and you should contact your doctor immediately. It is best to leave your wound open to air. If a gauze was applied after your surgery, you can remove it the next day. If you have a small amount of bleeding, a light gauze can be placed on the wound and you should hold direct pressure to the site for 20 minutes without stopping. Do not use any occlusive dressings (dressing that stops air from getting to the wound). Washing/BathingYou may wash and shower normally starting the day after your surgery. Be gentle: don’t scrub the area, and pat gently to dry. It is good to clean the wound site daily. If you have ‘steri-strips’ you can leave them in place. You can trim any loose ends. After 1-2 weeks, the strips may fall off themselves or will be removed by your doctor. Don’t submerge your wound in water: avoid baths/pools until the wound is healed, about 2-3 weeks. StitchesDepending on what type of stitches were used, they will either fall out on their own (clear stitches) or will be taken out at your follow-up appointment (blue stitches) at about 7-10 days. PainFor pain, Tylenol and/or Advil may be used. Keeping your head elevated will help as well. OintmentApply Vaseline twice daily or more to keep your wound nice and moist. It is not recommended you use Polysporin or other anti-bacterial ointment as it can cause skin irritation and kill the ‘good’ bacteria on your skin. MakeupWait until the wound is fully healed before applying makeup directly, about 2-3 weeks after your surgery. SunscreenWait until the wound is fully healed before applying sunscreen directly onto it, about 2-3 weeks after your surgery. Once your wound is healed, be sure to apply sunscreen directly onto the scar at all times. Scars exposed to sunlight can turn a brown colour that is very visible and permanent. This can be avoided by applying sunscreen to the scar diligently.