How do you know when something needs stitches or similar?

[DanceInTheDark]

Before i start.....None of us is pouring with blood or in need of urgent medical attention!

DS3 banged his face on the table, bit his bottom lip and there is another cut just under his lip.

Both have stopped bleeding but the bottom cut will definitely leave a scar. It's not very wide or long but because of the possible scarring do we need to get it glued/stitched/other?

do the edges of the cut meet together or is it more 'gaping'? If together probably fine if not then maybe needs a steri strip or a stitch.

How old is ds?

I ask because my 2yo recently got stitches on his chin. If I had known beforehand how traumatic the whole thing would be for him I would not have taken him to get them.

I would have cleaned and dressed his cut, and left it at that.

OTOH, my daughter needed stitches on her face at 2yo (definitely needed, no judgement call) and she was put under general for them and was out of hosp within the day. They were marvellous and 2 yrs later you can't see her scar unless you know what you're looking for.

It's not gaping. Only a few millimetres but will leave a scar when its healed.
He is 2.6 Happy with himself aside from the lip lol!

Was happy to sit with a "mr bump" on it on my knee.

I would leave it but its the "what if" part of parenting

meant to add that it's all clean.

The rule of thumb is that stitches are needed when the cut has gone through all the layers if skin (and is gaping, or looks as if you are looking down into a hole IYSWIM).

It won't make much difference to the scar (more affected by how your genes make your skin heal).

If you're not sure, get it checked out.

DS2 had a cut on his forehead glued back together - a process he though was really cool. It healed very cleanly, and scar is barely visible, even though it's in a very obvious place.

Thanks everyone.

Going with what I thought and that was to leave it.it's not bleeding and not deep or huge.