Steristrips - how long before they fall off or should I try to take them off?

[dopeydoot]

Last week DS1 (4) tripped at school and hurt his eyelid, cue quick trip down to the emergency drop in centre to get the nurse to look at it as it wouldn't stop bleeding.

She popped steristrips on and said they would fall off after two or three days when it was healing well below and to leave them be.

However it is now almost a week later and they still haven't dropped off and they look quite welded on - lots of congealed blood in them still as even with them it took several more hours for the bleeding to stop.

Just wondering if I should leave them or if I ought to just dampen them a bit and see if they come off of their own accord (I wouldn't rip them off!) or do something else with them - just a bit worried about them going manky especially as so close to his eye!

If anyone knows what I ought to do I'd be very grateful, many thanks!

If the skin underneath looks as though it has come together, try to ease them off. I have never heard of steristrips falling off TBH. They are supersticky so they keep the edges of a wound together thus avoiding the need for sutures.
FWIW, i think that you'll have to do more than dampen them. Brace yourself..........

I had a hernia op a few months ago and had dissolvable stitches and steristrips and was told to just let them drop off on their own....three weeks later had to nearly sand them off

Thanks for that - won't worry about getting them too wet in the bath in that case - have had to be Very Careful (ds has taken nurse's instructions about not getting them wet very seriously indeed - maybe because it has meant we've had to avoid partial face and hair washing - like most little boys one of his least favourite things... ).

Bit difficult to see under the dried blood but will have a go!