How to Care for Your Surgical Incision

By Dr. Rashna Ginwalla, Clearwater Advanced Surgical Associates, LLC

Good wound care in the first two to four weeks after surgery makes a meaningful difference in how an incision heals and how the scar looks long-term. Here's what you need to know.

The first 48 hours (2 days)

Keep the original dressing clean, dry, and in place. Don't get the incision wet. A small amount of blood or clear fluid seeping through the bandage is normal. If the dressing becomes saturated, call the office.

Showering

After forty-eight hours (or as directed), you can remove the dressing and shower. Let warm, soapy water run gently over the incision — don't scrub, don't aim a strong stream directly at it. Pat dry with a clean towel. Don't rub.

No submerging the incision in bathwater, pools, hot tubs, or lakes until it is fully healed and I've cleared you. This typically means two to four weeks. Soaking softens the wound edges and significantly increases infection risk.

Your wound closure

Steri-Strips: Let them fall off on their own — usually seven to fourteen days. Don't peel them. It's fine if one or two fall off early.

Surgical glue: Don't pick at it. It flakes off naturally over two to three weeks. Don't apply lotions or ointments over it.

Sutures: Dissolvable sutures are under the skin and take care of themselves. Non-dissolvable sutures will be removed at your follow-up, typically seven to fourteen days depending on location. Don't try to remove them yourself.

Staples: Removed at your follow-up. You can shower with them in place after forty-eight hours.

What normal healing looks like

Mild redness directly at the incision edges (within about a quarter inch), slight swelling and bruising, clear or lightly pink drainage in the first day or two, itching as the tissue heals (this is a good sign), and a firm ridge under the incision forming over the first few weeks. That ridge is scar tissue — it softens over months.

Warning signs — call the office

Redness that is spreading beyond the incision edges, increasing warmth or swelling, drainage that is cloudy, yellow/green, or foul-smelling, drainage that increases after initially decreasing, incision edges that separate or open, or fever of 101°F or higher. Pain that gets worse after the first two to three days — rather than gradually improving — also warrants a call.

Do not use hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, or antibiotic ointment on the incision unless I've specifically instructed you to. These products can damage healing tissue.

Scar care (after the incision is fully closed)

Once the incision is healed and sutures or staples are out:

Sun protection is the most important thing. New scars burn easily and can darken permanently. Use SPF 30+ or keep the area covered for at least six to twelve months.

Silicone scar gel or sheets (available over the counter) are the most evidence-based way to minimize scar appearance. Start once the skin is fully closed.

Gentle massage — small circular motions for two to three minutes, once or twice a day — helps soften scar tissue once the wound is healed. Scars take six to eighteen months to fully mature.

If you have questions about wound care specific to your procedure, or notice anything that concerns you, call the office at (208) 985-6179.

This page covers general incision care. Your procedure-specific instructions will include any additional guidance relevant to your wound type.