3 Treatments for Deep Cuts

Cuts are among the most common injuries. Fortunately, many are so minor that they don’t require any medical treatment at all. 

Deep cuts, however, also known as lacerations, should be addressed by a medical professional. Getting appropriate care quickly can help ensure full healing while lowering your risk for infection. 

In general, we recommend seeking medical support within 12 hours if your cut is more than ¼-inch deep, contains debris or dirt, or causes excessive or long-lasting bleeding. If the bleeding doesn’t stop with 10 minutes of direct pressure or you experience accompanying issues, such as a fever, you may need emergency support.

Our highly qualified team of experts at Arundel Medical Group, Inc. in Glen Burnie, Maryland, performs laceration repair procedures routinely in our office. In this blog, we explore three potential treatments for deep cuts.

Damaged tissue or debris removal

The first step in deep cut treatment often involves a thorough cleaning of your wound. Our team will also conduct a careful examination to assess the severity of your injury. Then, we may use surgical tools to remove any debris or damaged tissue from your wound for improved healing and to stave off infection. To keep you comfortable throughout this process, you may receive a local anesthetic. 

Adhesive strips

Also known as Steri-Strips, medical-grade adhesive strips can be helpful if your deep cut is located in a part of your body that stays in a state of tension or bends a lot, such as your knee or elbow. These strips are also intended for cuts with a depth of ½-inch or less. 

Once applied, your strip must stay in place and dry for a minimum of 72 hours. During this time, it will help seal your wound by pulling the sides of it together without making contact with the wound itself. Steri-Strips are simple to remove once your wound has healed.

Medical staples

Medical staples help seal your deep cut by keeping the sides together. We especially recommend staples for cuts in high-tension areas of your body, such as your arms, legs, neck, and scalp. 

Once the staples are in place, you’ll need to keep the cut area dry for 24-48 hours. After that, you can gently wash the skin around the staple site once or twice per day using cool water and soap. 

Your staples will typically stay in place for 5-10 days. At that point, your provider will remove them. You may also receive antibiotic ointment to apply and cover with a bandage.

If our team determines that surgery may be necessary, we’ll recommend a qualified expert to take care of your next steps toward healing.

To learn more about deep cuts or get the treatment you need, call Arundel Medical Group, Inc. or request an appointment on our website.