It depends on the type. Some stitches dissolve on their own and never need to be touched. Others are designed to stay intact permanently and must be removed by a healthcare provider within a specific window, usually 4 to 14 days after they’re placed. The type you have depends on where your wound is, how deep it goes, and what your doctor chose during the procedure.
Dissolvable vs. Non-Dissolvable Stitches
Dissolvable (absorbable) stitches break down naturally inside your body through chemical reactions with water or through your immune system’s own cleanup cells. They’re commonly used for internal layers of tissue, mouth wounds, and areas where removal would be difficult or unnecessary. You don’t need a follow-up visit to have them taken out.
Non-dissolvable stitches are made from materials like nylon or polypropylene that your body can’t break down. They’re often chosen for skin closures on the hands, face, limbs, and trunk because they tend to cause less inflammation during healing and hold their strength more reliably. The tradeoff is that they require a removal appointment, and leaving them in too long creates problems.
If you’re not sure which type you have, check any paperwork from your visit. Your provider should have noted the suture type and given you a removal date if one is needed. When in doubt, call the office that placed them.
How Long Dissolvable Stitches Take to Disappear
Not all dissolvable stitches work on the same schedule. The material they’re made from determines how quickly they lose strength and eventually vanish. Fast-absorbing types dissolve in about 42 to 56 days. Medium-absorption stitches take 60 to 90 days. Slower materials, used in tissues that heal gradually, can remain in the body for 180 to 210 days or even longer.
Natural gut sutures break down within a few weeks, digested by enzymes in your tissue. Synthetic dissolvable stitches, which are far more common today, can linger for several months before fully absorbing. You may notice small pieces of thread poking through the skin or working their way out as the material degrades. This is normal and not a sign of a problem, though it can be mildly irritating.
Dissolvable stitches are sometimes held in place with thin adhesive strips (Steri-Strips). These fall off on their own within about two weeks. If they start curling at the edges before then, trim them with scissors rather than peeling them off, which can irritate the skin.
When Non-Dissolvable Stitches Come Out
The removal timeline depends almost entirely on where the wound is. Areas with good blood supply heal faster, so stitches come out sooner. Areas under tension or with slower circulation need more time. Here are the standard windows:
- Face: 4 to 5 days
- Neck: 7 days
- Scalp: 7 to 10 days
- Arms and back of hands: 7 days
- Chest, abdomen, or back: 7 to 10 days
- Legs and top of feet: 10 days
- Palms, soles, fingers, or toes: 12 to 14 days
- Over a joint: 12 to 14 days
Face stitches come out earliest because facial skin heals quickly and because leaving sutures in longer increases the risk of visible track marks along the scar. Joint and sole-of-foot stitches stay in longest because those areas endure constant movement and pressure.
What Happens If Stitches Stay in Too Long
Leaving non-dissolvable stitches in past their removal window is not harmless. The longer they sit in the skin, the more the tissue grows around them, making removal harder and increasing the chance of permanent scarring. Skin can actually start to heal over the stitch material, embedding it beneath the surface.
Retained stitches also raise infection risk significantly. Research has shown that bacteria cling to suture material readily, and the presence of even a small thread can lower the threshold for infection dramatically. Stitches left too long can trigger chronic inflammation, leading to granuloma formation (small lumps of irritated tissue) or what’s sometimes called a stitch abscess. If you’ve missed your removal date by a day or two, don’t panic, but do schedule an appointment promptly.
What Removal Feels Like
Suture removal is quick and usually causes only mild discomfort, not the sharp pain most people expect. Your provider will clean the wound area first, then use small scissors or a blade to snip one side of each stitch just below the knot. They’ll pull each stitch out in a single smooth motion using forceps. You’ll feel a brief tugging sensation with each one. The whole process typically takes just a few minutes, even for wounds with many stitches.
After removal, adhesive strips are often placed across the wound to give it extra support for a few more days while the scar continues to strengthen. These strips fall off naturally and shouldn’t be pulled off early.
Staples and Skin Glue Follow Different Rules
Surgical staples, like non-dissolvable stitches, must be removed by a healthcare provider. The timeline is similar, roughly 7 to 10 days for the scalp and comparable ranges for other body areas. A special staple remover tool is used, and the process is fast.
Skin glue (surgical adhesive) requires no removal at all. It dries into a protective film over the wound and peels or flakes off on its own within 5 to 10 days. You should avoid picking at it, scrubbing it, or soaking it in water during that time.
Signs of Infection to Watch For
Whether your stitches are dissolvable or not, watch the wound for increasing redness that spreads beyond the edges of the cut, worsening pain after the first day or two, cloudy or foul-smelling drainage, and fever. Some redness and mild swelling right around the stitches is normal in the first couple of days. What you’re looking for is a change in the wrong direction: things getting worse instead of gradually better. If you notice these signs, contact the provider who placed the stitches rather than waiting for your scheduled removal date.