Skin biopsy: Caring for your child after the procedure

By SickKids staff

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A skin biopsy helps diagnose skin problems. Find out how to help your child's skin heal after a skin biopsy.

Key points

Follow all instructions for caring for your child’s skin after a biopsy.
Call your child's health-care provider or seek prompt medical attention if your child’s skin becomes redder or more painful or if there is pus.

Introduction

What is a skin biopsy?

A skin biopsy involves taking a sample of your child’s skin and sending it for testing in a laboratory.

After the test

How do I care for my child’s skin after their biopsy?

How you care for your child’s skin depends on whether your child needed stitches after their biopsy.

Biopsy with stitches	Biopsy with no stitches
For the first 24 hours, leave the bandage on and keep the area clean and dry. After the first 24 hours, remove the bandage and rinse the site well. Pat it dry with a clean towel. Apply petroleum jelly or the antibiotic ointment recommended by your child's health-care provider to the area every day. If your child prefers, cover the area of the biopsy with a new bandage. Arrange to have your child's health-care provider remove the stitches at the recommended number of days after their biopsy. Your child's health-care provider will discuss this time frame with you.	For the first 24 hours, leave the bandage on and keep the area clean and dry. After the first 24 hours, remove the bandage and rinse the site well. Pat it dry with a clean towel. Your child’s skin will form a scab as it heals. Apply petroleum jelly or the recommended antibiotic ointment every day until the scab falls off. If your child prefers, cover the area of the biopsy with a new bandage.

Biopsy with stitches

Biopsy with no stitches

For the first 24 hours, leave the bandage on and keep the area clean and dry.
After the first 24 hours, remove the bandage and rinse the site well. Pat it dry with a clean towel.
Apply petroleum jelly or the antibiotic ointment recommended by your child's health-care provider to the area every day.
If your child prefers, cover the area of the biopsy with a new bandage.
Arrange to have your child's health-care provider remove the stitches at the recommended number of days after their biopsy. Your child's health-care provider will discuss this time frame with you.

For the first 24 hours, leave the bandage on and keep the area clean and dry.
After the first 24 hours, remove the bandage and rinse the site well. Pat it dry with a clean towel.
Your child’s skin will form a scab as it heals. Apply petroleum jelly or the recommended antibiotic ointment every day until the scab falls off.
If your child prefers, cover the area of the biopsy with a new bandage.

Complications

How do I care for my child’s skin if there are complications?

The risks of a skin biopsy include pain, bleeding, infections, scars and stitches popping open.

Pain: If needed, give your child acetaminophen every four to six hours once or twice after the local anesthetic wears off. If your child cannot take acetaminophen, ask your child's health-care provider or a pharmacist for suggestions.
Bleeding: Apply pressure for 15 minutes. Do not peek at the bleeding site while holding pressure.
Infection (rare): If the area becomes redder or more painful or if there is pus, have it assessed by a local health-care provider. Your child may need oral antibiotics.
Stitches popping open: This can happen if the biopsy is done where the skin is tight or if the skin around the biopsy is bumped or stretched. Remove the stitch and clean the skin as instructed.
Scarring: No treatment is needed. Scarring is normal when the skin heals from a cut.

Follow-up care

When will I find out about my child's biopsy results?

It takes a few weeks to get the results of a biopsy. Your child's health-care team will decide with you when to follow up in the clinic to review the results.

Last updated: February 7th 2025