Steri-strips WON'T come off!!

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faire_jour

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Miss Kat is now 2 weeks post surgery and we are starting to get frustrated.

The surgeon had us not get her incision wet for a week, but said that after 7 days she is fine to wash her hair, and that they strips should start to fall off after we wash her hair....well, that didn't happen!

We have waited another week, but we are starting to worry. They are stuck on very well, because of the gross dried blood, and now her hair is starting to grow under them, and they are sticking to the hair! What do we do? Is it ok that the incision is still covered? We have post op in a week, what happens if the stupid tape is still on then? Doesn't a wound need air to heal? I'm so frustrated and I just want to pull the stupid tape off, but the doctor said they should fall off naturally....argh...
 
I don't know if that is ok...I worry about the oil getting in the incision itself....
 
Yes. Maybe just wait. They can trim the hair away if it is still on at the doctor.
 
bio oil or pure vitamin e shouldn't harm the incision maybe try that? I started to put pure vitamin e...from the capsules and cut them and used that starting only a cpl days after my surgery...my surgeon said it was perfectly alright and it's really good for the scar to help heal:)
 
they will come off on their own in time. i wouldnt pull them off at all it would be extremely painful to do that even at 2 weeks its pretty much healed. before you try oil or anything just maybe do something simple and moisten them with plain water a few times a day instead of just getting it wet when her hair is washed and see if that speeds it up.
 
Why not just call the implant centre and ask what you can do, or if you should just leave them and let them fall off on their own (even if it takes another week or so)
 
I would try just using a warm compresses to see if that helps. To be on the safe side I would warm some bottled water in the microwave and then wet the compress or boil some water and wet the compress once the water cools down. Tap water can still have some unwanted occupants. It would be better to at least try. If the clinic does it they might not be as gentle.
 
set2 said:
I would try just using a warm compresses to see if that helps. To be on the safe side I would warm some bottled water in the microwave and then wet the compress or boil some water and wet the compress once the water cools down. Tap water can still have some unwanted occupants. It would be better to at least try. If the clinic does it they might not be as gentle.
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I wouldn't do that - risk of infection. Even bottled water has some unwanted occupants too. I'd use sterilized solution.
 
Jiro, good point about the bottled water. What about Distilled Water?
 
set2 said:
Jiro, good point about the bottled water. What about Distilled Water?
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all of them are not sterilized to a certain degree. that's why the clinic uses sterilized solution.

yes you can boil the water or add chlorine/iodine or use UV light or etc to sterilize it as much as you can... but that's just for safe enough for drinking, not suturing.

but hey - that's just my opinion. When it comes to surgical stuff with stitches and all... I rather not mess with it.
 
Anyway, how many days has it been?

Sometimes it take longer to lose the adhesive. What are the cons if you don't take it off?
 
where the heck is ADer with medical expertise?

Paging Dr. Doug... Paging Dr. Doug...
Paging Nurse Oceanblue.... Paging Nurse Oceanblue....
 
Jiro said:
where the heck is ADer with medical expertise?

Paging Dr. Doug... Paging Dr. Doug...
Paging Nurse Oceanblue.... Paging Nurse Oceanblue....
Paging Nurse Freckles... Paging Nurse Freckles...
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I'm here. ;)

faire, yes, two weeks absolutely okay. as long as you see no infection. I had strips on MY knee for more than a month (because of cast) and they finally came off naturally, one at time lol. almost the same as your kind of strips, not to worry. I would leave it as hair's growing underneath and to a good length, you can have it cut off. doubtly so yet because scar is there.

if you really want them off NOW, make sure the incision is wholly closed and looks good (pink, not swollen, etc.) and bath her until they come off. again, you can't see it clearly under "dried blood". I would leave it just be, those strips are made breathable. they WILL come off, eventually. :)
 
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