Lip Injury From Dog Bite

Question

My puppy bit a smallish (not tiny) chunk of my lower lip... The flesh that was bitten off sort of hangs on top of the wound. It's really swollen & hurts:( The injury wasn't deep enough to require stitches but now there's a hole in my lip! How does lip skin heal? What can I do to aid healing? Will the hole fill up as the wound heals? Or will it have a dented appearance? And if so, what can be done to bring it up to the height of the surrounding skin? Is there such a thing as topical augmentation?

Toby Mayer, MD · Answer

See an experienced surgeon for an evaluation since it is impossible to give you a good answer with seeing the problem. If the surgeon thinks it will improve, he will wait several months: if not, he may revise it now.

Jeffrey Scott, MD · Answer

In general lip wounds heal very fast, but any scar or deformity that is left afterward may be able to be corrected by a board-certified plastic surgeon. You should probably seek a consultation to establish care. I usually perform scar revisions after one year of healing time.

Lip Injury From Dog Bite

Answers (2)