It’s generally recommended to keep your wound dry for 24 hours after a procedure to minimize the risk of infection. After 24 hours, gently dab with a clean, moist cloth to clean away any leaking fluids if needed. Replace the bandage with a clean new one.

While a gentle clean is okay, too much water can degrade the stitches, so it’s best to keep them dry. Cover your wound with a waterproof bandage when showering, and replace that one once you’re dry.

Easier said than done, but resist the urge to scratch where your stitches or sutures are. This could make them pull at your skin, or even come out. It also increases the chance of infection.

Big movements, or even a lot of little ones, near a wound can potentially cause it to re-open. So it’s best to avoid putting too much movement or pressure on the stitches/staples.

Set up a specific spot in your home to do your daily incision care. Try to keep it free from children or pets, which might bring dirt and germs to it. Lay down a large sterile pad to put your supplies on.

Have these supplies open and ready to use:

• Gauze and bandages

• Tape

• Ointments (if applicable)

• Single-use medical gloves

If you need to make your own bandage with gauze and tape, now’s the time to prep it. Not sure how to do it? Take a look at these step-by-step instructions first.

Remove any jewelry and wash your hands with warm soap and water for 20-30 seconds. Scrub your wrists and under your fingernails, too. Rinse before drying well with a clean towel.

Slowly remove the tape from your dressing by pulling up, toward the wound.

Infection in a surgical incision can mean serious business. Call your doctor if you have any of these signs:

• An incision that is swollen, hot, or notably red

• A wound that has green or yellow drainage

• A wound that smells bad

• Bleeding that does not stop with pressure

• Pain that is not getting better

• A feeling of hardness or fullness around the incision

• An incision that has opened

• A fever or 38.3°C or 101°F

Soak up any excess fluid with a gauze pad while you’re inspecting the incision.

Unless you’re told to do so by your doctor, cleaning a wound at every dressing change can do more harm than good¹. So if you’re clear of all signs of infection, apply an antibiotic ointment (if you’ve been directed to do so) and put on the new bandage. Make sure it’s aligned properly to fully cover your wound on all sides.

Dispose of your old dressing, the gloves, and any gauze you used in a plastic bag before throwing it in the trash. Finish it all off with another wash of your hands.