It is vital that you clean dirt out of a cut or scrape so that it doesn't cause infection, says dermatologist Karen E. Burke, M.D., Ph.D., an attending physician at Cabrini Medical Center in New York City and at Greensboro Specialty Surgical Center in North Carolina. Try Hibclens, a brand-name soap available in drugstores. It's a superior cleanser, not irritating to tender skin. Repeat three times a day. Sizable cuts or scrapes should be cleaned three times a day, says Dr. Bergfeld.
Stitches help the cut heal faster and reduce the chance of scarring.
If a cut shows white or flesh color, then it's not deep enough to require stitches. But any cut that is deep enough to reveal a rich yellow color has cut into the layer of fat underneath skin, and it must be stitched closed to heal properly. See a doctor, even if you're in doubt, say women doctors. You also have a fever or swollen lymph nodes. You have multiple cuts and scrapes.