Steri strips do not come off after almost three weeks

[Lovefruitsandvegs]

My DS had a deep gash on his forehead almost three weeks ago. The nurse put steri strips, glue and plaster. We have tried to take them off after two weeks after the showers and soaking as advised but they are firmly stuck to the hair and the skin. I cut some off but three are still there very firmly stuck like plastic. We are going to make an appointment with our GP but I wonder how are they going to take them off. Do they have a special solution for disolving the glue? We also see that the wound has not been pulled together. I think it could be because the nurse did not put the strips correctly. The cut was very deep. I hope the sides of wounds will tighten together later.
Thank you!

If there are any gps out there correct me if I'm wrong, but im not sure this is a job for a gp. You might be better off going to a walkin centre if you had one locally. But I'd wait for a GP or someone who knows what they are talking about to come all and give you sensible advice.

Best get it looked at asap at the GP. Three weeks the wound will be well healed so it sounds as if it will scar. The sides will not come together now unfortunately. Not really a place you can soak for long either. Sorry this has happened. It could have been managed a bit better I think. Odd they used glue and steristrips. Glue should have been enough and left a nice little scar too.

It is not an emergency so GP is the place to go. The nurse would likely sort it out, but I think the GP needs to view it first to be aware of what has happened and how best to resolve it.

I feel terrible but you do try to trust the medical staff. This is like superglue. I cannot even cut the strips off because they are too close to the skin. And they said it would take 10 min only.

It is superglue! A medical version obviously. Do not panic though. Best leave it alone and let the medics sort it. It will not cause any damage leaving it until monday, but I would be thinking about complaining. It is horrible when a child is hurt and even worse when they have a scar worse than it needs to be, which it sounds like it will be. At least they did not put the glue in his eye by accident. It is powerful stuff. They even use it on caesarian wounds.

They will come off eventually, as the skin replaces itself, but I agree with going to see the GP. It might also be worth asking the GP if the steri-strips have been applied in a standard way.

Thank you. I will make an appointment on Monday. I hope they will take them off without doing more damage to the wound. I also doubt the GP will suggest anything has been done not as it shoould have been because the staff in the surgery is like mafia. It is pity they earn so much. I might for another surgery if they handle this situation badly. I hope not though.

I sometimes use a spray to get hard stuck dressings off patients..think it's called apeel . The practice nurse should be able to help.

My DD had a similar very deep forehead gash it even shocked me and I'm a vet. It took two trips to hospital as it continue to bleed so profusely that the first repair didn't work. So the final repair was steroid trips then glue and then another layer of steri strips over the top. I got DD to hold a warm damp face flannel on to the area for around 10 minutes before I attempted the peel I then also used a bit of surgical spirit to release the strips.
After removing the steri strips I used Liz Earle super skin on the scar twice daily and now nearly two years later it is barely visible.

Lonecatwithkitten, it shocked us too as it was that deep. Then the nurse looked as she did not like working with children. My DS of course was scared of all her tools but it irrited her. I guess many children get scared of the medical tools. It was also painful and he did not want extra pain. She put more steri strips in the bottom of the scar than in the very top and now the edges of the skin have not come together; it is like 1 or 2 mm deep. There is dry blood inside and not on the top of the scar. Of course it is probably too late but I hope with the help of special creams or oils it will become more even later. Fortunately he is not a girl and also the scar is closer to his headline.
We will see what the doctor says. I hope they do not just pull the strips off :)

ggirl, I have tried to read about this spray online but could not find any info. I hope the nurses know what to use in such cases.

this is what i use..spelled it wrong sorry

Thank you ggirl! I wish I knew about it earlier. Will ask about this spray tomorrow in the surgery if I get an appointment.

The nurse did not have this medical adhesive remover. She offered to take it off with tweezers without even soaking. [angy] I will probably order online.

I meant

We will do today a lot of soaking in the bath. Hopefully the glue will become brittle. I see that medical adhesive remover is quite poweful. It might disolve the glue completely. I am a bit scared about it as the cut was deep.