Here’s How to Know If You Need Stitches

Life often throws its fair share of bumps and scrapes. While most of them heal on their own, there are times when a cut demands a bit more attention. Ever wondered how to tell the difference between a simple graze and a wound that needs stitches? 

Knowing when a cut might need stitches is helpful. Stitches can help wounds heal better and faster, lowering the chance of infections. If a cut is more serious, stitches can make sure it heals properly. Understanding when you do and don’t need stitches also helps you make good choices about when to get medical help (and when to save the time and the money). 

Which cuts need stitches?

Most cuts will heal with or without stitches, but some wounds heal better — and less visibly — with help. The need for stitches depends on a few factors, including how deep the cut is and where it is on the body.  

There are some features of cuts that mean you may need stitches or medical evaluation. Let’s look at the main deciding factors.

Size

Bigger, deeper cuts are generally more serious. Here’s when to consider stitches:

• Wide, gaping wounds that leave deeper layers of skin and fat exposed

• Wounds that are more than ½ inch long may need stitches

Location

A cut on your arm is not the same as a cut on your face. Cuts on these areas likely need stitches:

• Cuts on the face where scarring is a concern

• Cuts on the genitals, hands, and feet 

• Cuts over joints or other areas of tension or movement where future mobility is at risk

Bleeding

If your wound is more than a superficial scrape, apply direct pressure to help stop the bleeding. Get medical attention if your cut won’t stop bleeding after applying firm, direct pressure for 10 minutes.

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Risk 

High-risk wounds that likely need medical attention include:

• Very deep wounds that might affect tendons or ligaments

• Wounds with foreign bodies (dirt, glass, etc.) stuck inside

Infection 

Animal bites, especially cat bites, have a high risk of infection. They don’t always need stitches, but they often require antibiotics (more on this below). Human bites are nearly as risky as cat bites.

And some people take longer to heal, which can increase the risk of infection. This includes people with diabetes, weaker immune systems, and poor circulation.

Which cuts don’t need stitches?

Many cuts or small wounds will heal well without stitches. If a wound is small and doesn’t expose deeper layers of skin, it may not need stitches. If you aren’t sure, it’s always best to get it checked out by a medical professional. 

Whatever you decide to do, first clean the wound thoroughly with water. Irrigation, or rinsing, is one of the most important things you can do to prevent wound infections. 

Antibiotic ointments aren’t usually needed for minor wounds unless you have a weaker immune system. Covering a wound with a bandage for the first couple of days can help protect it from further injury as the healing process starts.

Animal bites may not need stitches, but they always need medical review. This is because they carry a high risk of infection. You may need antibiotics, a tetanus shot, or treatment for rabies. If the wound is gaping (wide open), stitches can be useful to bring the edges together loosely. These wounds are often left slightly open so that bacteria deep in the wound aren’t trapped inside and left to cause an abscess. 

Do stitches hurt?

Getting stitches can be painful. But healthcare providers typically use local anesthesia to numb the skin and soft tissues before they start stitching. They can give this medicine as an injection or a topical cream. After the anesthesia takes effect, you’ll usually only feel some pressure or tugging while they stitch up your wound. 

How long do stitches stay in?

Depending on the location, stitches stay in about 5 to 14 days. Stitches over joints, like your knees, elbows, and knuckles, need to stay for the longest (usually 10 to 14 days). But stitches on your head can come out after 5 to 7 days. Stitches on most other parts of your body typically stay in for 7 to 10 days.

Your wound will already start healing by the time the stitches are in. Make sure to keep the stitches dry for the first 1 to 2 days. This ensures you don’t get an infection in the wound. 

After the first couple of days, you can start to gently wash the stitches and pat them dry. Avoid playing contact sports or scratching the stitches. And cover your stitches with a bandage. Even though stitches are strong, they can still break open if you hurt that part of your body again.

Once the stitches are out, your wound is healed! To improve the look of the scar as it heals, keep the scar out of the sun and use sunscreen. Your provider may even provide specialized creams to help improve the look of your scar.   

Are there alternatives to stitches?

Skin glue and “Steri-Strips” (a special type of tape) are great options for very small cuts —  especially if there isn’t a lot of tension across the cut (like from a moving joint or inflammation). You still need to thoroughly clean and rinse the wound. But since applying the glue is painless, it means that your provider doesn’t need to inject numbing medication. The same is true for Steri-Strips. This can be especially helpful for kids or anyone who is afraid of needles. 

Many retail pharmacies sell over-the-counter versions of skin glue and Steri-Strips, which you can safely use at home for small, simple wounds.

Skin staples are an alternative to stitches, which can be applied in an emergency department or urgent care setting. They work similarly to stitches, only they’re stronger and can be good for areas where the skin is thicker (such as the scalp). They can also be used to treat very long cuts. Staples are a bit thicker than suture material, so the scars left over from those holes can be more noticeable. While staples are good for the scalp, they aren’t an option for cuts on the face or other areas where the cosmetic outcome is a bigger concern.

What is the difference between sutures and stitches?

Though people often say that they get “stitches,” that’s not technically accurate. The “suture” is the string used to bring the wound edges together. 

Stitching — or suturing — is the process of placing the sutures. It involves threading a suture through the skin to bring the two edges of the wound together and encourage healing. Because this involves a sharp needle, a healthcare provider injects a numbing medication (local anesthetic) into the wound and the surrounding skin before placing the sutures. Sometimes they apply a numbing cream to reduce pain.   

Do stitches, sutures, staples, and skin adhesive help wounds heal?

Sutures, staples, and skin adhesives don’t do the work of healing a cut. Your body has everything it needs to repair the skin. There are cells that go in and mend each layer. 

But these treatments keep the area stable so the healing isn’t disrupted. In most cases, the cut is water tight in 48 hours. Most stitches stay in for about 10 days to let all of the layers of skin heal properly.

If a cut goes over a joint, splints are sometimes used for the first few days to make sure you don’t accidentally pop open the stitches while doing regular activities.

What happens if I don’t get stitches when they are needed?

Not getting stitches when you need them can be risky. A poorly healing wound can lead to long-term complications that can be difficult to treat: 

• Infection: Waiting more than 6 to 8 hours to stitch a wound can increase the risk of wound infection. Bacteria can multiply in the open wound and then form an abscess if they get trapped inside. Antibiotics can help lessen the risk of infection in these cases.

• Prolonged healing: Healing time gets longer if larger wounds aren’t closed. Without stitches, wound healing can take 3 weeks or more. And the risk of infection continues the longer the wound takes to heal. 

• More bleeding: Deep wounds can continue bleeding without stitches. Stitches bring the edges of the wound together and add pressure, which helps the clotting process.

• Scarring: All wound healing leads to some scarring. But without stitches the scars can be wider and more noticeable. 

• Loss of function: Poor healing in certain areas of the body, like over a joint, can result in limited mobility and decreased sensation to the injured area.

• Increased pain: Stitches help stabilize the wound and promote faster healing, which relieves some of the pain associated with an open wound.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Khama Ennis, MD, MPH, FACEP

Dr. Ennis is a board-certified emergency physician based in western Massachusetts. She is the medical staff president and associate chief of emergency medicine at Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

Edited by:

Sophie Vergnaud, MD

Sophie Vergnaud, MD, is the Senior Medical Director for GoodRx Health. A pulmonologist and hospitalist, she practiced and taught clinical medicine at hospitals in London for a decade before entering a career in health education and technology.

Reviewed by:

Angela Dunn, MD, MPH

Angela Dunn, MD, MPH, is a public health physician practicing in Utah, with a focus on serving under-resourced communities.

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