Leaflet: Wound Care Advice

The health care practitioner will indicate the treatment given to you.

Glue

• A special wound glue has been used. It is designed to hold the wound edges together until it has healed.

• Healing is very quick on faces (about 3 – 5 days). The glue will stay on long enough for this to take place.

• In a few days, the glue will come off on its own. Do not pick or encourage the glue off. Too early a removal will increase the risk of scarring and may introduce infection.

• Avoid washing the area. However, water splashing onto the wound after treatment will not affect the glue.

• Do not soak the wound.

• Do not put any dressing on the wound. Never use an Elastoplast on the glue as this will make it sweat and the edges will not hold together.

• Do not use any antiseptic creams over the glue.

• Do come back to the Minor Injury Unit in the unlikely event of knocking the wound and it opens up again.

Staples

• Your wound has been closed using ………….. special steel wound staples. They are designed to hold the wound together until the wound has healed.

• Please phone the treatment room nurse at your GP’s surgery to make an appointment to have the staples removed in 5-7 days or as advised by the health care practitioner who put them in for you. It is a painless procedure.

• You may both shower and wash your hair with staples in. You may leave your hair to dry naturally or use a hair dryer on a low or cool setting.

• The staples are designed to stand up proud from the skin and this may, if you are not careful, catch in a comb or brush.

Suture (stitches)

• Your wound has been closed using nylon or paper stitches.

• Please phone the treatment room nurse at your GP’s surgery to make an appointment to have the stitches removed in days.

• Please gently remove the paper stitches in 7 days as the health care practitioner explained

• Stitches on the face may not be dressed. Apply clean Vaseline to the wound twice a day, but not last thing at night as it will rub off on your bedclothes

• See your own GP if you are concerned that your wound is getting infected i.e. the wound becomes red, swollen, more painful, pus or discharge is seen. Or if you become unwell with a high temperature

Pain relief medication

Pain relief medication can help you to reduce the pain allowing you to undertake any suggested exercises and movements of the injury. Moving will help ease the pain and speed up your recovery significantly. Simple pain relief medications such as Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are often all that is required. Please read the medication instructions before taking anything.

Call 111 if you urgently need medical help or advice but it’s not a life-threatening situation.

For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.