How Do I Take Care of Staples on Scalp from Mohs Surgery? (photo)

You should be washing the
area with light suds during your shower. You can get this from antibacterial
soap, but even suds from shampoo should help. Often, I'll have patients use a
small amount of hydrogen peroxide on the healing surgical wound itself to help
remove crust. But being four days out and because the hydrogen peroxide
would temporarily bleach your hair, I think you can easily get away with
light manual washing with soap and water.

Lastly, be sure to apply ointment, such as Vaseline,
2 to 4 times a day to the site. Keeping it moist will help it heal best
and will minimize scarring.

The post op care for a stapled wound is very much the same as that for a stitched wound and it's always a bit more challenging on the scalp since you can't see the area yourself and hair is covering everything.  We recommend the following to our patients:  keep the wound clean and dry for the first two days followed by cleaning the area with soap and water (might be easier to do in the shower initially as the crust can become adherent) and perhaps have someone help you with a cotton swab or clean washcloth to gently remove any dried blood or crust that has formed.  Then apply Vaseline to the site and if possible cover with a bandage (sometimes too challenging on the scalp).  There should not be any crust left on the wound as this inhibits optimal healing. 

Post-operative care is a funny thing, as each surgeon has his/her preference as to post-operative care. So it is always recommended to ask your doctor how he/she wishes you to care for your wound.

Here is some basic information:


Scab is bad. You do not want a scab to form as it slows healing

Cleanse the wound. Some surgeons want you to clean with soap and water, others recommend sterile saline, others hydrogen peroxide (either full strength or half/half with water). Most recommend cleaning wounds once or twice daily.

Keep the wound moist. Moist wounds heal faster and often better than dry wounds. Therefore a petrolatum-(Vaseline)-based ointment works best. Such include Bacitracin, Polysporin, Neosporin, or Bactroban (available by Prescription), which are all antibiotic ointments. Some physicians recommend Vaseline or Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

To cover or not to cover, that is the question. If you keep the wound moist with a petrolatum-based ointment, it may not be necessary to cover the wound--as long as the ointment stays on the wound. On areas that are prone to coming in contact with clothing or bedding, it is often preferable to cover the wounds to avoid making a mess.