Cuts Versus Scratches: Helping You Decide

• The skin (dermis) is 2 mm thick.
• A cut (laceration) goes through it.
• A scratch or scrape (wide scratch) doesn’t go through it.
• Cuts that gape open at rest or are long, need closure to prevent scarring.
• Scrapes never need closure, no matter how long they are.
• So this distinction is important.