Your child had a cut in the skin (also called a laceration) on their lip. The healthcare provider cleaned the cut, but stitches were not needed.

Here’s some information to help you care for your child at home.

Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for:

• Any activities to avoid, such as rough play and sports
• When it’s OK for your child to return to sports and usual activities
• If your child needs to return to have the cut checked

Caring for the cut:

• Your child can take a shower. They should not soak the cut in a bath or go swimming until the healthcare provider says it’s OK.
• Your child should wash the cut with mild soap and water (no scrubbing) and pat dry with a clean towel once a day.
• Check the cut every day to make sure the red area is not getting bigger, the cut isn’t getting more swollen, and that there’s no drainage (oozing) from the cut. The cut should look a little better every day.
• Your child should not pick or scratch at the scab that forms over the wound.
• Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for using an ointment on the cut.
• If the cut starts to bleed, put pressure on it with a clean gauze pad for 10 minutes. If it doesn’t stop bleeding or if it bleeds a lot, take your child to the ER.

For discomfort:

• You can give acetaminophen (Tylenol® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®, or a store brand). Follow the package directions for how much to give and how often. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old.
• Use a cold pack wrapped in a clean cloth for 15–20 minutes at a time to lessen swelling and help with pain.

Eating and drinking:

• Offer foods that are easy to eat and do not stretch the lips when taking bites.
• Your child shouldn't drink through a straw for about a week or until the cut is fully healed.
• Avoid foods that:
  • Are hard
  • Make crumbs
  • Are salty or spicy
• Have your child rinse their mouth with water after eating.

• Your child has signs of an infection such as:
  • Fever
  • Redness and swelling
  • Worsening pain
  • Red streaks on the skin near the cut
  • Yellowish or greenish drainage (pus) coming from the cut
• The cut starts to bleed but stops after holding pressure with a clean gauze pad for 10 minutes.
• Your child is touching or picking at the cut.

The cut:

• Starts bleeding heavily and won't stop after using firm pressure for 10 minutes
• Opens up

What should I expect as the cut heals? As the cut heals, it may ooze a small amount of bloody or clear fluid that dries to form a scab. This will eventually fall off. A scab on the inside of the lip may look white.

Will a lip cut leave a scar? Most small cuts on the inside or outside of the lip will leave a very faint scar that will fade over time.