Post-Operative Skin Care

The procedure site will be covered with a dressing. This should be left in place for 24 hours and kept completely dry for two days.

  • Showers are fine starting on the third day after the procedure. Leave the band-aids in place while you shower and change them after you dry off.

After these two days, begin once-a-day wound care for 10 days as follows:

  1. Clean the wound with Betadine or warm soapy water (use a gentle soap like Dove) with a gauze pad

  2. Rinse thoroughly

  3. Dry wound with a gauze pad

  4. Apply a layer of Bacitracin ointment. If Bacitracin is not available or you are allergic to it, you may use Vaseline petroleum jelly, Aquaphor, or Mupirocin ointment 

  5. Cover the wound with a band-aid and continue to change the bandage daily until there are no open wounds

If you have stitches, for 7 to 10 days after your procedure refrain from doing strenuous activity (such as running or heavy lifting) or submerging the wound in water (such as swimming or taking a bath).

The local anesthetic used for the procedure will usually last for 1 to 2 hours after the procedure. After it wears off, you may have some mild, localized soreness and tenderness at the procedure site for the next day or two. 

  • You may find Tylenol helpful for the discomfort (do not take if allergic)

Call the office, or visit an urgent care or the emergency room if:

  • There is rapidly spreading redness and/or swelling around the wound

  • You are experiencing severe pain

  • You notice bleeding and it does not stop after applying pressure with a clean gauze for around 10 minutes

Depending on the procedure location, your sutures will be removed in 7 to 14 days.

Make sure to keep your follow-up appointment and follow these instructions. 

If you do not receive your results from your lab in around two weeks, please call our office for your result. 

Please contact our office if you have any other questions. We are here to help.