Staples are often used for head wound closure. This method of enclosure may not be familiar to everyone, as to how the staples are attached to the scalp to the method of removing it off the head wound. Staples are attached to the wound site after it is cleansed using either saline solution or tap water. It is very important to do all the procedures in sterilized environment, to prevent the possibility of infection. Caring for the wound during healing process is similarly important, as proper wound care will promote faster healing and less scarring.

Basic tips on caring for stapled head wound

• Clean the scalp with gentle products—baby shampoo is recommended, as they are hypoallergenic.
• Do not do excessive attempt on removing dried blood and other debris from the scalp and hair. Instead, rinse the hair with lukewarm water and gently rub dried blood when it is loosened. You might need several times to wash your hair and get all dirt completely removed.
• Do not touch the stapled wound, as it may contaminate the wound site with skin bacteria.
• Prevent scabs from forming, since scabs will inhibit healing process. Put a warm compress on the wound site to moisten the wound surface, so that there will be not much scabs forming around it.

Removing staples from head wound

Many people with stapled head wound have difficulty imagining how those staples are going to be removed from the wound site. Hence, there are various questions being raised about staple removal from a head wound, to give them an illustration on how and what they are going to experience when the staples are taken off from the healing wound. Some common questions about removing staples from a head wound include:

• How many days prior to the treatment are the staples going to be removed?

Although this depends on variety of factors, such as body healing process, wound severity, and medications taken, most head wound staples are removed within 7 to 10 days after closure. In between the periods, patient will have to perform proper wound care in order to prevent infection and perform faster healing, so that staple removal can be performed soon. However, some doctors will advise the patient to do wound check 2 or 3 days after the initial closure.

• How staples in head wound are removed?

When the wound has healed thoroughly, and new skin cells have been properly formed, staples are ready to be removed. Doctors and nurses are going to use a commercial staple remover to perform the task.

• Does the removal hurt?

As long as your wound does not have an infection, staple removal should be painless, although people still feel stingy sensation when these staples are being pulled off. If you are experiencing severe pains during staple removal, it may be caused by infected or not-completely-healed wound.

• Is anesthetic used during the procedure?

Most of the time, anesthetic is not used with staples, either in closure or removal procedures. However, some people are really nervous about getting the staples removed and ask for a numbing spray to be applied to the scalp to help them minimizing the way it might feel.

• What should I do after staple removal?

Although the wound has healed when the removal is performed, it is possible that this procedure causes minor reopen wound in some parts of the healed wound. If this is what happens, you do not have to be worried. All you need to do is performing the standard wound care until it completely heals and take all prescribed medications your doctor might ask you.

• Can I wash the hair after staple removal?

You can wash the entire head after the procedure in order to get rid of any left debris and dried blood. However, the previously wound site might still be very delicate, so you need to perform gentle movements during the wash. Besides, use hypoallergenic products to wash your scalp and hair after the staple removal. Avoid scrubbing the scalp and instead, do gentle rubs to get it cleaned. Wash the hair with warm water to soften any left dried blood, so that you can clean it easily.