Laceration, Skin Adhesive

Home care

You may take over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen, naproxen, or ibuprofen for pain, unless you were prescribed another pain medicine. Talk with your doctor before using these medicines if you have chronic liver or kidney disease. Also talk with them if you've ever had a stomach ulcer or digestive tract bleeding or are taking blood thinners. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20. It has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.

General care

• Keep the wound clean and dry. You may shower or gently wash the wound. But don't take a bath or soak or scrub the wound. After showering, pat the wound dry with a soft towel. Don't use soaps, lotions, or ointments on the wound area.

• Don't scratch, rub, or pick at the adhesive film. Also, don't place tape directly over the film.

• Don't apply liquids, such as peroxide, ointments, or creams, to the wound while the film is in place. These may dissolve the adhesive too soon.

• Most skin wounds heal without problems. But an infection sometimes occurs despite correct treatment. Watch for the signs of infection listed below.

Follow-up care

Follow up with your doctor as advised. The adhesive film or skin glue usually falls off in 5 to 10 days.

When to get medical advice

Contact your doctor right away if:

• You have signs of infection, which include:

  • A fever of 100.4ºF (38ºC) or higher, or as advised by your doctor.

  • Increasing pain in the wound.

  • Increasing redness or swelling.

  • Pus coming from the wound.

• The wound bleeds more than a small amount or the bleeding doesn’t stop.

• The glue comes off earlier than expected and the wound edges come apart.

• You feel numbness or weakness in the wound area that doesn’t go away.