Steri-Strips are thin adhesive bandages often used by surgeons as a backup to dissolvable stitches or after regular stitches are removed.

They’re also available for purchase in local pharmacies for self-care. You can use them to help close shallow cuts or wounds, but it’s important to seek medical treatment for severe injuries.

Steri-Strips are also called butterfly stitches or butterfly bandages when they are thin in the middle and have two wide, sticky areas at each end, like the wings of a butterfly. But not all Steri-Strips look like this. The type most commonly used by surgeons are straight, thin strips.

If you’re not sure how to take care of Steri-Strips, or how to apply them or remove them, this article will walk you through all the details you need to know.

Steri-Strips are typically used for cuts or wounds that aren’t too severe, or for minor surgery.

They help seal wounds by pulling the two sides of the skin together without making any contact with the actual wound. This reduces the chance of introducing any bacteria or other substances into the cut.

Steri-Strips are sometimes a better option than regular stitches because they don’t need to be sewn into the skin and can be easily removed when the wound heals.

When considering whether to use Steri-Strips to close a wound, you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions:

Typically, your doctor or surgeon will apply Steri-Strips after surgery or treatment for an injury. But you may need to apply them at home if you can’t get medical care right away.

Once a Steri-Strip has been applied to a wound, it’s important to take good care of it.

If a doctor or surgeon applied Steri-Strips to your wound, you can simply wait for the strips fall off when they’re ready.

If you applied Steri-Strips to your own minor wound and it has healed, here’s how to safely remove the strips:

Seek immediate medical attention if a wound:

Also be sure to keep a close eye on the wound once a Steri-Strip has been applied. Get medical care right away if you notice the wound:

Steri-Strips are often a good backup or alternative to regular stitches if a wound isn’t too deep or severe.

But, like stitches or other types of wound closures, they need to be applied and removed correctly. You also need to pay careful attention to them while they’re helping a wound to heal.

It’s also important to keep an eye on your wound and to get care if doesn’t stop bleeding, or shows signs of infection.

Last medically reviewed on October 15, 2019

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