Going home after your visit
Facial wound — caring for a cut to the face
How to care for your cut while it heals, and how to help the scar fade.
You have a cut on your face that has been cleaned and closed. The face has a good blood supply and usually heals well. Careful aftercare over the next few weeks helps the scar fade.
Your care details
To be completed by the team before you leave.
this Emergency Department your nearest A&E other:
none needed
Come back to A&E or an urgent treatment centre if any of these happen
These can be signs of infection, a wound problem or a nerve injury and need checking.
- Growing pain, redness, swelling or pus around the wound
- Red streaks spreading from the wound, or you feel hot or unwell
- The wound opens up, or bleeding will not stop with firm pressure
- Numbness, or you cannot move part of your face normally
- A cut near your eye, or any change in your eyesight
- The edges of a cut through your lip, eyelid or eyebrow look out of line
CALL 999 Call 999 if bleeding is heavy and will not stop, or you feel very unwell.
Caring for it
- Keep the wound clean and dry, and keep any dressing on as advised.
- If it was closed with glue, let it flake off over 5–10 days — do not pick it.
- Do not shave over the wound until it has fully healed.
- Gently clean it as you were advised, once you are allowed to.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain if you can take them.
Helping the scar
Once the wound has healed, protect the scar from the sun for 6–12 months with a hat or high-factor sunscreen. Sun can make scars darker and slower to fade. Gently massaging the healed scar can also help it settle. Stitches on the face usually come out in about 5 days — your removal date is in the care box.
Where to get help
999
Life-threatening emergency, or a red-flag symptom above
111
Urgent but not life-threatening, or you're not sure — call or visit 111.nhs.uk, 24/7
Your team
Use the department phone in Your care details above