How to Take Care of a Facial Laceration: 15 Steps (with Pictures) (2024)

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Medically reviewed byJonas DeMuro, MD

Last Updated: May 25, 2021References

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   Use barrier precautions. Before you provide first aid to someone with a laceration, it is important to protect yourself. Make sure to wash your hands and then put on a clean pair of latex or non-latex gloves. You may also consider putting on a mask or gown to protect yourself from blood.^[2]

   • After you finish providing first aid, make sure to remove the gloves, mask, and gown in a way that will prevent the blood from touching your body or other surfaces. Then, dispose of these materials in an appropriate bin and wash your hands thoroughly.
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   Stop the bleeding. This is your first priority. If you have or someone else has a facial laceration that is bleeding a lot, you need to get the bleeding under control. Place pressure on the wound, so that the blood will gradually clot and stop flowing.^[3]

   • If you are using a bandage or piece of cloth to stop the bleeding, don't take it off to replace it with another piece once it is filled with blood. Instead, simply place another piece of bandage or cloth over the original piece and continue pressure. This will better allow clotting to take place on the surface of the wound.

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   See Also

   Cuts or Lacerations: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment, First Aid Tips & PreventionLacerations - Lacerations - Merck Manual Professional EditionLaceration | Wound Care, Infection Prevention & HealingOpen Wound: Types, Treatments, and Complications

   Get immediate medical care for a serious wound. If it is a large laceration that is bleeding excessively, you need to get medical care. A doctor or medical professional will be better able to assess the injury, stop bleeding, and treat the laceration.^[4]

   • Sometimes a cut is so serious or deep that it won't stop bleeding even when pressure is applied. With injuries such as this, a doctor may need to apply stitches.
   • If the laceration is near your eyes, or if it is impacting your ability to speak or breathe, then you should call 911 immediately.
   • Do not drive yourself if you are injured, as this could put others at risk, so call emergency services or find someone to take you to a doctor.
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   Clean the wound. If bleeding has stopped and you are sure that immediate medical care is not necessary, start cleaning the wound. Depending on what caused the laceration, your wound may be relatively clean to very dirty. Take a mild soap and warm water and gently clean the wound until you cannot see any dirt or debris and the soap is rinsed away.

   • You do not want to press on a wound that bleeds easily or that did not clot easily. Instead, take it slowly and gently so that the wound doesn't start bleeding uncontrollably again, and put no pressure on the wound.
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   Keep the wound clean and disinfected. You will just need to keep the area clean, apply a first-aid ointment or antibiotic, and change bandages regularly. This is all in an attempt to keep the area infection free.

   • If your injury is so minor that you don't go to the doctor, simply continue with basic first aid for a cut. Keep the area clean and avoid irritating it if at all possible.
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   Get a tetanus shot. If you have a facial laceration, it may be necessary for you to get a tetanus shot. If the wound is dirty and you have not had a tetanus shot in the past five years, you will likely need a booster. If you have not had a tetanus shot in 10 years, you should get one from your doctor, even if the wound appears clean.^[5]

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   Keep stitches clean. If your cut has been stitched up by a doctor, you will need to keep them clean in order to avoid infection. Follow your doctor's advice about aftercare, including washing and cleaning the area and replacing bandages.^[6]

   • You will want to clean the wound area daily; however, avoid submerging the stitched area in water until the cut has healed.
   • Instead of stitches, your doctor may apply Steri-Strips to more minor cuts. These are adhesive strips that serve the same function as stitches but don't require the pain of stitches.
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   Use acetaminophen or Ibuprofen for pain relief. Most lacerations do not require anything stronger than an over-the-counter painkiller. Follow the directions on the bottle, making sure to follow the recommended daily dosages.

   • If you have been taking over-the-counter painkillers and they are not sufficiently dulling your pain, consult with your doctor about getting a prescription for something stronger; however, your doctor may simply tell you to take additional over-the-counter painkillers.
   • Ibuprofen can inhibit clotting and can increase bleeding. If the wound was recently bleeding, talk to your doctor before taking ibuprofen.
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   Take a shower carefully. Though cleaning the wound is a good idea, too much soap or water could irritate the cut. Try putting a dry washcloth or towel over the cut while you are in the shower to keep the water out.

   • Taking a bath should be ok while recovering from a facial laceration, as your face does not need to be in the water to take a bath. However, be sure to keep it out of the water as much as possible and avoid submerging the laceration at all. This can irritate the wound and prevent proper healing.
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   Know that you may be pale after the injury for a couple of days. This depends on how much blood you lost and how serious the injury is.

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   Keep food and debris out of the laceration. Depending on where the stitches are, eating can be difficult. If the injury is on the chin or near the lip, you might have to eat or drink small things or amounts in order keep the food out of the laceration.

   • Consider eating liquid meals through a straw if the laceration is bad and interferes with your ability to eat. This will allow you to keep the laceration clean and keep getting enough nutrients.
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   Look for the signs of an infection. An infected cut will usually turn red and puffy.^[7] It will become more tender and may have a discharge.

   • If you think your laceration is infected, you should have it looked at by a medical professional.

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   Watch for the signs of a concussion. If a child has gotten a serious facial laceration you should make sure that their brain was not affected by the same force that injured the child. Make sure your child is able to talk without being confused and is able to move around normally after an injury to the head. If there is concern for a concussion, your child should be seen by a medical professional who can determine the need for a CT scan of the head. Your child should also be kept under close observation for 24 hours after the injury.^[8]

   • Know that it is ok for your child to sleep. Along with being pale, children are often sleepy after an injury. It is ok to allow your kid to sleep but be sure to check on her condition every two to four hours.
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   Inspect the injury for proper healing. A child won't always alert you that an injury is not healing properly. When changing bandages, check to make sure that the injury is healing nicely.

   • The wound is likely to be red and puffy for a while, but it should usually not be oozing pus that is white, green or yellow.
   • Lacerations are places where a serious infection can enter your child's body. This is why it is so important to keep an eye on his injury.^[9]
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   Contact your child's doctor if you suspect the laceration has become infected. If the area around the stitches becomes infected, contact your doctor about whether to bring the child in to be assessed. A true infection will require professional cleaning and antibiotics in order to heal.

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