Cuts and wound closure (stitches / glue)
A small procedure to clean a cut and hold its edges together with stitches, skin glue or adhesive strips so it heals well and the risk of infection and scarring is reduced.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- Cuts can be closed with stitches, skin glue or adhesive strips, chosen to suit the wound — the aim is good healing, lower infection risk and a tidier scar.
- Severe or uncontrolled bleeding, a very large or deep wound, something stuck in the cut, exposed deeper tissue, or loss of feeling or movement means call 999 or go to A&E now.
- Any wound that breaks the skin can scar; closure improves the odds of a neat result but cannot guarantee no scar.
- Tetanus cover matters for deep, dirty or bite wounds — your clinician should check this.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your specialist will give you advice for your situation.
Holds the wound edges together so it heals faster and more neatly
Severe or uncontrolled bleeding, a very large or deep wound, or exposed fat, muscle or bone — this needs A&E or 999, not simple closure.
Keep the wound clean and dry and the dressing intact. Some mild oozing, redness and tenderness is normal. Local anaesthetic wears off within hours, so use...
Clear, ideally written, wound-care advice and a definite plan for stitch or staple removal.
Keep the wound clean and dry and the dressing intact. Some mild oozing, redness and tenderness is normal. Local...
Most wounds settle and become less sore. Follow advice on when you can get the area wet. Watch for spreading...
Non-dissolving stitches and staples are usually removed after about 3–14 days depending on the body area — your...
The wound continues to strengthen and the scar matures, fading and softening over several months. Protect it from...
What is wound closure with stitches or glue?
Wound closure is a small procedure to bring the edges of a cut together so it heals neatly, with less bleeding, lower infection risk and a tidier scar. A clinician first cleans the wound and checks it, then chooses the best way to close it: stitches (sutures), skin glue (tissue adhesive) or adhesive strips (sometimes called Steri-Strips).
Which method suits depends on where the cut is, how deep and long it is, how much it gapes, and how clean it is. Small, straight, clean cuts may be closed with glue or strips; deeper or gaping cuts, or those over areas of movement, often need stitches. Some cuts are best left open or treated differently, and your clinician will explain why.
This guide is about closing relatively minor cuts. It is not a substitute for A&E or 999. Severe or spurting bleeding that will not stop with firm pressure, a very large or deep wound, a wound with something stuck in it, a wound exposing fat, muscle or bone, loss of feeling or movement beyond the cut, or a bad cut to the face or palm of the hand, all need A&E or emergency help. So does any deep or dirty wound, bite or burn where your tetanus protection may not be up to date.
Closing a wound reduces the chance of a poor scar but cannot promise an invisible result. Any wound that breaks the skin can leave a scar, and how it looks depends on the injury and how you heal.
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
Stitches vs glue vs strips
| Method | Often used for | Needs removing? |
|---|---|---|
| Stitches | Deeper, longer or gaping cuts; high-tension areas | Non-dissolving ones yes; dissolving ones no |
| Skin glue | Small, clean, low-tension cuts; some face/scalp | No — sheds on its own |
| Adhesive strips | Small, shallow cuts; support after stitches | No — peel or fall off |
The right choice depends on the wound. Glue and strips are not suitable for deep, gaping, dirty or high-movement wounds, which usually need stitches.
Preparing for your procedure
- Press firmly on the wound with a clean cloth and raise it to slow bleeding while you get help.
- Do not put antiseptic cream, powder or home remedies into the wound before it is seen.
- Try to note how the injury happened and on what, as this affects infection and tetanus risk.
- Know roughly when your last tetanus vaccine was.
- Remove rings or jewellery near the wound before swelling sets in.
- Tell the clinician about blood-thinning medicines, diabetes, allergies (including to local anaesthetic or adhesives) or any condition that affects healing.
- If you might need stitches, avoid eating in case sedation is ever needed for a complex repair (uncommon for minor cuts).
What happens
The clinician examines the wound, checks movement, feeling and circulation beyond it, and looks for anything embedded or any deeper damage. They clean the wound thoroughly, often by irrigating it, to remove dirt and lower infection risk.
If stitches are needed, the area is numbed with local anaesthetic first; you feel a sting as it goes in, then pressure rather than pain. The clinician closes the wound with the chosen method — stitches, glue or strips — and applies a dressing.
They check your tetanus status and decide whether a booster, or other treatment, is needed, and whether antibiotics are warranted (for example with some bites or dirty wounds). You are given advice on keeping the wound clean and dry, when and where stitches are removed, signs of infection, and when to seek help.
If the wound is more complex than expected — too deep, contaminated, involving important structures, or on a cosmetically sensitive area — you may be referred for specialist repair rather than closed on the spot.
Is this procedure right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- Severe or uncontrolled bleeding, a very large or deep wound, or exposed fat, muscle or bone — this needs A&E or 999, not simple closure.
- Wounds with loss of feeling or movement beyond the cut, suggesting nerve or tendon injury — these need specialist assessment.
- Heavily contaminated wounds, certain bites and some puncture wounds, which are often better cleaned and not closed straight away.
- Wounds seen too late for safe primary closure, where the infection risk is higher.
- Cosmetically sensitive facial wounds that may be better repaired by a specialist.
Delay or rearrange if…
- Bleeding is not yet controlled — get emergency help rather than wait for closure.
- There may be a foreign body or fracture that needs an X-ray first.
- There are signs the wound is already infected, which may change how it is managed.
- Tetanus status is uncertain and a tetanus-prone wound needs assessing.
- You cannot keep the wound clean, dry and protected during healing.
Alternatives to discuss
- A&E or 999 for severe, deep, contaminated or complex wounds.
- Leaving a suitable wound to heal open (by secondary intention) where closure is not advised.
- Adhesive strips or glue instead of stitches for small, low-tension cuts.
- Specialist (for example plastic or hand surgery) repair for wounds involving deeper structures or the face.
- Conservative wound care and dressings for very minor cuts that do not need closure.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Comfort, sedation or contrast choices
If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.
Benefits
- Holds the wound edges together so it heals faster and more neatly
- Reduces ongoing bleeding from the cut
- Lowers the risk of wound infection compared with leaving a suitable wound open
- Tends to produce a tidier scar than an unclosed wound
- Allows a check for tetanus risk, embedded objects and deeper damage at the same time
Risks & complications
- A scar — any wound that breaks the skin can leave one
- Some discomfort, tightness or itching as the wound heals
- Mild redness and swelling around the wound in the first days
- Needing to return to have non-dissolving stitches or staples removed
- Wound infection needing antibiotics or further treatment
- The wound partly opening (especially if knocked or over a joint)
- A reaction to the local anaesthetic, glue or dressing
- A stitch reaction or small stitch-mark scars
- A deeper injury to a nerve, tendon or blood vessel found only later
- A retained foreign body missed at first cleaning
- Significant or keloid scarring, more likely in some people and sites
- Tetanus, if a tetanus-prone wound is not covered (rare in the UK because of vaccination)
The most important judgement is whether the wound is suitable for simple closure at all. Wounds to the hand, over joints, or with any loss of movement or feeling can involve tendons or nerves and may need specialist repair. Bites, puncture wounds and heavily contaminated cuts carry higher infection risk and are sometimes not closed straight away. Tell the clinician how the injury happened, ask whether your tetanus cover is up to date, and ask what infection warning signs to watch for.
Published figures to discuss
Wound infection and scarring rates vary widely with the type of wound, how clean it is, where it is on the body, how soon it is treated, and your own health, so a single reliable percentage is not meaningful for a patient guide. Tetanus is now rare in the UK because of routine vaccination, but tetanus-prone wounds still need their cover checked. Rather than quote figures, the safest approach is to clean wounds well, close only suitable wounds, check tetanus status, and watch for infection.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wound infection after closure | Often around 2 to 5% for simple clean lacerations, higher for bites, crush, dirty or delayed wounds | Closure choice should consider contamination and timing; not every wound should be stitched closed. | NHS — Cuts and grazesnhs.ukPublished figure |
| Tendon, nerve or vessel injury being missed | Uncommon but high impact | Loss of movement, numbness, poor capillary refill or deep hand wounds need careful examination before closure. | NHS — Cuts and grazesnhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Tetanus risk in contaminated wounds | Very rare in vaccinated people in the UK, but potentially fatal | Vaccination history and wound type determine whether booster or immunoglobulin is needed. | NHS — Cuts and grazesnhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Visible scarring | Expected to some degree after any full-thickness cut | Good alignment, wound care and sun protection help, but no closure method makes a scar vanish. | NHS — Cuts and grazesnhs.ukSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
Most closed cuts heal over one to two weeks, though deeper wounds and those over joints take longer. The closure does its job in the first days; your job is to keep the wound clean and protected and to watch for infection.
- Mild redness, tightness and itching around a healing wound
- A small amount of clear or slightly blood-tinged ooze in the first day or two
- A firm, slightly raised scar line that gradually softens and fades
- Tenderness over the wound that eases over the first couple of weeks
Aftercare
- Keep the wound clean and dry, and follow advice on when it is safe to get wet.
- Leave glue and adhesive strips alone — do not pick at them; let them shed naturally.
- Use simple pain relief such as paracetamol if the wound is sore.
- Avoid stretching, knocking or putting tension on the wound, especially over joints.
- Attend for stitch or staple removal at the time and place you were told.
- Keep the healing scar out of strong sun for the first few months.
- Check your tetanus cover is up to date if the wound was deep, dirty or a bite.
- Seek help if you see signs of infection or the wound reopens.
- Date and place for stitch or staple removal
- Spare dressings and instructions for changing them
- Advice on when the wound can get wet
- Simple pain relief at home
- A note of infection warning signs
- Tetanus status confirmed for deep, dirty or bite wounds
Scars and how they heal
Any wound that breaks the skin can leave a scar, and closing it well is about giving the best chance of a neat, fine scar rather than no scar at all. Stitches, glue and strips all aim to hold the edges together so the skin heals in a tidy line. A fresh scar is usually pink or red and slightly firm, and most fade and soften over several months to become much less noticeable. Stitches can occasionally leave small cross-marks, and glue and strips avoid these. How a scar turns out depends on the cut (depth, length, jagged or clean edges), where it is on the body, your skin type, and how you heal — some people are more prone to thickened or keloid scars. Keeping the healed wound out of strong sun for the first few months, and not smoking, help a scar settle. If a scar is troublesome, simple scar-care advice or, later, treatment options can be discussed.
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- Bleeding that soaks through dressings or will not stop with firm pressure — call 999 if heavy or spurting
- Spreading redness, heat, swelling, increasing pain or pus from the wound — signs of infection
- A high temperature, feeling generally unwell, or red streaks spreading from the wound
- The wound opening up again, especially over a joint
- New numbness, tingling or loss of movement beyond the wound
- Severe muscle stiffness or spasms, or difficulty opening the jaw — possible tetanus, call 999
- A wound on the hand or face that you are worried involves deeper structures
- Anything stuck in the wound that you can see or feel — do not pull it out, seek help
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your specialist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good result is a wound that heals cleanly, without infection, leaving as tidy a scar as the injury allows. Glue, strips and stitches all aim for this; the right choice and careful cleaning matter more than the material itself.
Closure cannot guarantee a perfect or invisible scar, and it cannot undo damage to deeper structures or prevent every infection. The honest picture is that most simple cuts heal well, a minority get infected or scar more than hoped, and a few turn out to involve tendons, nerves or contamination that need more than a simple repair.
Once a cut has healed and the scar has matured over several months, the result is generally lasting. Scars usually keep fading and softening for up to a year or more. A well-healed wound does not normally need ongoing care, though a thickened or troublesome scar can be reviewed if it does not settle.
Related tests, treatments or support
Wound closure often goes alongside other steps: a tetanus booster, antibiotics for a higher-risk wound, an X-ray if a foreign body or fracture is possible, and a wound or fracture clinic review. For wounds involving the hand, tendons or nerves, referral for specialist repair may be combined with, or replace, simple closure.
Follow-up & long-term care
Follow-up usually means a planned visit to remove non-dissolving stitches or staples, and sometimes a wound check. You should leave knowing when and where stitches come out, how to spot infection, and who to contact if you are worried. Glue and strips need no removal appointment.
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- Some wounds need to be reopened, re-cleaned or re-closed if infection develops or the wound breaks down.
- A wound thought suitable for glue or strips may need converting to stitches if it gapes or keeps reopening.
- A deeper injury or foreign body found later may need a further procedure or specialist repair.
- A troublesome or thickened scar can be reviewed and, if needed, treated once healing is complete.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear, ideally written, wound-care advice and a definite plan for stitch or staple removal.
- Honest scar advice, including that scarring is possible and how to help it settle.
- Tetanus status checked and a booster arranged if needed.
- A named contact route and clear infection warning signs.
- A low threshold to refer on if the wound is more complex than first thought.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- Whether you use a free NHS service or a paid private clinic
- The clinician closing the wound and how complex the closure is
- The method used (stitches, glue, strips or staples) and materials
- Local anaesthetic and any wound cleaning or foreign-body removal
- A tetanus booster or antibiotics if needed
- A follow-up visit for stitch or staple removal or a wound check
- Any referral for specialist repair of a deeper or facial wound
- The fee for the consultation and wound-closure procedure
- Materials and local anaesthetic
- Any tetanus booster or antibiotics
- Whether stitch or staple removal is included or charged separately
- Whether a wound-check review is included
- What happens, and what it costs, if the wound becomes infected or reopens
- What happens, and what it costs, if specialist repair is needed
On the NHS? Wound closure is provided free on the NHS at A&E, urgent treatment centres and minor injuries units when clinically needed; private clinics charge a fee and may offer shorter waits, but serious or heavily bleeding wounds should go to A&E or 999.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- No discussion that any wound can scar, and that closure improves but cannot guarantee the result.
- Not checking tetanus status for a deep, dirty or bite wound.
- Closing a wound without checking for tendon or nerve injury, especially on the hand.
- No clear plan for stitch removal, wound checks, or what to do if infection develops.
- Closing a heavily contaminated or late-presenting wound that should have been left open.
Marketing red flags
- Promising a 'scarless' or invisible result from wound closure.
- Skin glue marketed as suitable for any cut, including deep or high-tension wounds.
- A clinic implying it can close serious or heavily bleeding wounds that belong in A&E.
- No mention of tetanus cover, infection risk, or when specialist repair is needed.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the specialist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the specialist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good specialist will welcome every one of these.
- Is glue, strips or stitches best for this cut, and why?
- Could this wound involve a tendon, nerve or anything deeper?
- Is my tetanus cover up to date for this kind of wound?
- Do I need antibiotics, and if so why?
- When and where will any stitches be removed?
- What infection warning signs should make me seek help?
- What can I expect the scar to look like, and how can I help it settle?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the specialist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my cut needs stitches or glue?
Where should I go to get a cut treated?
Does getting stitches hurt?
Will my cut leave a scar?
When do stitches come out?
Can I get the wound wet?
Do I need a tetanus injection?
Should I take antibiotics for a cut?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: NHS — Cuts and grazes NHS — Do I need a tetanus jab after an injury? NHS — Tetanus NHS — When to visit an urgent treatment centre, walk-in or minor injury unit St John Ambulance — Cuts and grazes first aid NHS 111 online (England) nidirect — Urgent and emergency care services (Northern Ireland) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (Northern Ireland)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
Related guides: Minor injuries treatment · Urgent care / walk-in assessment · Fracture and suspected broken bone assessment · Burns and scalds treatment · Abscess incision and drainage