# Does it hurt when stitches come out?



## dancingmama

My sweet 4 y/o crashed into a table and wound up with 4 stitches in her forehead. They used lidocaine on a cotton gauze for 30 minutes to numb her up, and she didn't feel a thing when they stitched her. They come out in a few days.... is that painful? Should I see about getting her numbed up first?

Thanks for any insight!


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## MadiMamacita

I don't think so. But I only have experience with the dissolvable stitches. I can't imagine that they would hurt to get out, maybe a weird sensation, but I wouldn't think pain.


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## JamesMama

I've had stitches, no it doesn't hurt. It feels weird, sort of a pressure and a tickle but it doesn't hurt.


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## funkymamajoy

Its doesn't hurt, but it does feel really weird. Its hard to explain but I wouldn't describe it as pain.


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## AllisonR

Might depend on the kind of stitches. With my C section, I had staples and dissolvable stitches, which were "wiggly weird" coming out, but not painful. However I also had some non-dissolvable stitches at the same time, and those did hurt a bit coming out. Not like bawling agony, but certainly hurt. Put it this way, I was saying "owh" out loud and "f*ck it" to myself, but if I had been a kid I would have cried.


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## Fujiko

Well, the only time I've had to get stitches out was when I had a cyst removed on my scalp, and they didn't shave the area or anything so when the stitches came out, so did a lot of my hair. It hurt like hell, way worse than the original procedure. But I don't know if that's because my hair was in the way or not.


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## SunshineJ

Well, think about this for a second. You had an open wound that was stitched shut. The skin has now scabbed and regrown around the stitches... Yeah, it hurts. Not like "OMG I'm gonna kill someone!!" hurt, but more of a little prickly sting if they're stuck at all. It's not bad, and they'll probably look at you like you're nuts if you ask them to numb it, but I'd definitely take along a fave stuffed animal or lollipop or something.


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## philomom

I was about to say... I've had stitches for dermatology reasons... you know, suspicious moles and such...... it does hurt when the stitches come out.. a bad stinging, but then its over.


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## eepster

Not nearly as much as getting the lidocaine would hurt. It really is a pretty minor pinching sensation.


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## MusicianDad

Doesn't hurt. It does feel like someone is pulling a thread through your skin though, which kinda makes sense.


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## crl

Huh, lots of different reactions. I've only had one stitch for a mole that was taken off (well and some dissolvable ones in my mouth for wisdom teeth). It didn't hurt at all coming out. And I'm a bit of a wimp. But it did feel really weird. I had gone back to college and my dermatologist actually told me I could just take it out myself on such and such day, but I was a wimp and went to the college clinic and had the nurse take it out.

Catherine


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## lilyka

I have had stitches and I don't remember them hurting coming out. Ava had staples and she didn't even flinch.


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## 34me

My 13 yo ds had over 100 stitches to his face before he was 7. Yeah, just a little acident prone







. His first set was when he was 15 months old, the second, 23 months, 3rd at 26 months and the last just before he turned 7. I have taken them all out and he never complained.


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## CarrieMF

I've had stitches for different reasons & they never ever hurt coming out. It's a little creepy when they're pulled out. I've taken stitches out myself & had the nurses/dr's do it.

The longer they're in the more likely skin will attach, but I've had stitches in for over a week or more & they didn't hurt(just a light tug) when taking them out.


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## jeanine123

Didn't really hurt when I had the stitches removed from my finger or my knee. It is a weird tugging sensation though. My youngest brother had stitches in his forehead when he was young (can't remember how old but I think less than four) and he was fine with them removing them until one of the stitches snagged and tore a bit of skin. That was it for him, the ended up having to have a nurse and my mom physically pin him to the table in order to get the rest out.







I don't think that's too common but did want to make you aware of the possibility.


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## Smokering

Mum had her whole throat gashed open recently to remove a tumour, and had staples and regular stitches (non-dissolvable). She said it didn't really hurt, just pulled. She ended up pulling out some of the regular stitches herself (ex-nurse, six kids, immune to grossness).


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## JessicaS

It didn't hurt, I think the lidocaine would hurt worse.


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## AbbieB

I don't think hurt would be the word I would use, but it might be uncomfortable for a brief moment.

If you child tends to get panicky or freaked out by new sensations, I would request the prenumber (I'm assuming it's the cream type not the injection type.)

I'm all about making thinks easy for little ones.


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## Caneel

Depends, how is that for an answer?

I have had several sets of stitches over the years - cuts, moles, skiing accident

Some were so loose by the time they were ready to come out, I did it myself and didn't feel a thing - knee and arm.

Some had that really weird, as someone described, pulling a string through teeth feeling - fingers, shoulder, forearm.

Some HURT! The ones I remember hurting the most were in my hand, it was worse than the injury.

I would think the forehead would fall into the first or second category.


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## TortelliniMama

My experience has been the pinchy/stingy feeling. I agree that being numbed (with an injection) would far likely be more painful than the stitch removal.


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## Purple*Lotus

If the stitches don't stay moist and they get super stiff, yes, they can hurt. I was in tears having stitches removed from my carpal tunnel surgery. She really had to dig in there to get them out.


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## vbactivist

to everyone saying the lidocaine would hurt worse - i think she means a topical ointment. She said "on a cotton guaze" - and I have used it for my daughters blood draws. It doesn't hurt at all.

OP - if you're worried about it - ask them for a prescription and apply it about 40 minutes before her appt. Also there is over the counter "Lanacaine" which is the same stuff, just not as potent, but it still works.


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## starling&diesel

I've had a bunch of stitches for a bunch of different wounds ... I was a clumsy kid and still am a clumsy adult. Mostly, getting them removed doesn't hurt. When it hurts the most (for me) is when the scar has started healing over the stitch, and then it can be a little painful, like a mosquito bite.
Go ahead and use the emla cream! You can buy it over the counter and it goes on topically. I wish I'd thought to do the same.


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## Four&Me

Quote:


Originally Posted by *SunshineJ* 
Well, think about this for a second. You had an open wound that was stitched shut. The skin has now scabbed and regrown around the stitches... Yeah, it hurts. Not like "OMG I'm gonna kill someone!!" hurt, but more of a little prickly sting if they're stuck at all. It's not bad, and they'll probably look at you like you're nuts if you ask them to numb it, but I'd definitely take along a fave stuffed animal or lollipop or something.

i waited past the time the staples & the "fishing line" type stitches were supposed to be taken out. so there was a little bit of the skin overgrown. even so the staples were not that bad. just kind of bent out with a staple remover (not like at the office kind).
the fishing line another story. they had to dig with tweezers into my arm to get them out. it hurt so bad and i almost passed out. they gave me some cold water and i was better.


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## Ofwait

They can hurt... especially if the skin has started to grow over, generally if you have cleaned them properly and are taking them out on time it doesn't hurt.

Don't be surprised if she screams and gets upset though.... taking them out is often scarier for a child than having them put in, in the first place.


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## dancingmama

Thanks for your help, everyone!

Based on all the advice I got, I made sure the dried blood was well-soaked so there were no scabs, and I had them out in 4 days as recommended, and she was perfectly fine, didn't feel a thing. Thank you so much!


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## DaughterOfKali

Quote:


Originally Posted by *philomom* 
I was about to say... I've had stitches for dermatology reasons... you know, suspicious moles and such...... it does hurt when the stitches come out.. a bad stinging, but then its over.

Yep, me too. Hurts a little but it's QUICK.
It really depends on how the wound has healed. I also had stitches in my lip as a child and I pulled the stitches out myself (on the way to getting them out). Didn't hurt at all.


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## RufusBeans

to me it's even satisfying; like a deep itch being finally scratched.


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