When can the steri strips come off? They are curling up at the ends and driving me nuts! :thumbdown:

Also, can I use lotion on my belly - it's very itchy!?!

When can the steri strips come off? They are curling up at the ends and driving me nuts! :thumbdown:

Also, can I use lotion on my belly - it's very itchy!?!

I used lotion on my belly and it was fine, I can't see why not?

Also as far as the steri strips, my Surgeon said that I would leave them on until they were pretty much falling off, I did this for my first surgery, but then I had a port revision and decided to take them off a little sooner - bad idea LOL, they were not ready to come off and I was tugging at my scab at my incision area - ouch:eek:

So lesson learned, don't yank - duh right? I felt like a real genius after that experience. Oh, you could trim the steri strips, I did end up doing that to stop them from curling.

Edited January 25, 200917 yr by babbs3772
Because I can

My doctor said they should fall off by themselves. I am not sure how long it takes, but if your are curling up, then you are on your way! I was banded on the 14th and mine are curling too.

As for the lotion, I do put it on my belly when I get out of the shower because of the itching. The itching is just a sine of your incisions healing.

I was told to leave them alone. they would fall off on their own. The Dr would take the rest off at my 1 week post-op visit. I did take off 2 of them that we hanging on by like a little corner (not stuck to the incisions at all).

I was banded Wed and my doc said leave them on until the come off but if they start curling I can cut off the loose part only to help

My doctor said that they would fall off. One did not fall off and she took it off at my post op visit, which was two-weeks after surgery.

Thank you! I guess I'll leave them on (don't have post op until 4 weeks out) and use some lotion!

Thanks!!

What you can do is VERY carefully trim away the part that is curling up (if that's feasible for you) I did that because the parts that were stuck seemed to be necessary and I didn't want one accidentally tugged loose by me catching the end on something while I was dressing etc. SO...I carefully trimmed the loose ends. The strips should stay on at least 10 days to 2 weeks.

I itched but it was internal/healing, so lotion wouldn't help. You don't want to put lotion on any surgical sites, of course!