steristrips... can they come off already?!

krissywags · September 2011

I am 3 weeks and 3 days pp. My doctor used dissolving stitches and steristrips to close my incision. I know I'm supposed to let them come off on their own but how do they really dry up when I always have them covered with underwear and/or pants?! I know my incision is healed (at least on the outside), when can I pull these annoying things off?!

RobynK · September 2011

My doc told me to take them off after 2 weeks. You should call and ask to verify but I'm sure it's okay to get rid of them by now.

ladybugpjb · September 2011

My doctor put steristrips on my incision after he removed my staples - he said that the glue he used was strong and they wouldn't come off on their own, so I needed to pull them off after about a week. So I had staples for a week, then steristrips for a week.

But really, they were pretty nasty and coming off after a week, so I can't imagine leaving them on longer. Definitely check first, though - I don't know how staples and stitches are different in terms of healing.

krissywags · September 2011

thanks ladies. I am going to call in the morning, they are getting very itchy and gross.

pinkmoonlight · September 2011

I pulled mine off in the shower at three week pp because I had horrible tape rash as I am allergic to the adhesive from the tape.

mrsmikeyray · September 2011

I took them off after 2 weeks in the shower. They had come off mostly anyway.

magdalina.h · September 2011

I was told at 2w to use vitamin e oil to help peel it off.

genekelly · September 2011

My paperwork said if they don't come off by 2 wks then to remove them yourself. I think you're ok to take them off now.

shouldbworkin · September 2011

I pulled mine off after 2'ish weeks. Most of them were barely hanging on by then.

biblionerd · September 2011

My OB pulled mine off at my 1 week pp appt which was like 3 days after I came home from the hospital.

gbtc01 · September 2011

I had a few that were stubborn that wouldn't come off. My doc removed them at my 2 week appt.

I hate taking of bandaids and things like that so I didn't mess with my strips much. The ones in the middle came off fine it was the ones on the edges that were stuck.

tinkerfly81 · September 2011

ladybugpjb:

My doctor put steristrips on my incision after he removed my staples - he said that the glue he used was strong and they wouldn't come off on their own, so I needed to pull them off after about a week. So I had staples for a week, then steristrips for a week.

But really, they were pretty nasty and coming off after a week, so I can't imagine leaving them on longer. Definitely check first, though - I don't know how staples and stitches are different in terms of healing.

this

I took mine off though 2 weeks later (so 3 wks pp) in the shower with water spraying on them. I did one on one side then one on the other side and kept alternating until they were all off.

holly321 · September 2011

I just had staples for a week, no steristrips, so I would think you are fine at 3 weeks. Also, with a previous surgery, I had steristrips and I could let them fall off, or take them off after a week.

hopkins5 · September 2011

I took them off in the shower around two weeks

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