# Detached skin on a cut **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684 "2007-01-04T13:58:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@iano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iano)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/1 "2007-01-04T13:58:04Z")
If I’m cut in such a way that there is a flap of skin left partially attached to my body, will it grow back into place if I press back it into place and bandage it? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/2 "2007-01-04T14:00:27Z")
I think it will if it’s deep enough. After all, that’s what stitches would do. If it’s relatively superficial and you wait too long, I don’t think it will work. This is all from personal experience. I don’t actually have a cite. ---
**Author:** ![iano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@iano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iano)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/3 "2007-01-04T14:01:13Z")
Oh I should add that this is hypothetical, I guess… trivial enough but really I’m just wondering if the body will accept it back. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/4 "2007-01-04T15:37:55Z")
I had a cut a couple of years ago that went from the corner of my thumbnail back for 3/8’’, leaving a very flappy bit of flesh. I pushed it back into place and bandaged it tightly, and it healed readily enough. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/5 "2007-01-04T15:45:33Z")
I got myself an oddly shaped ring finger pad (left, if it matters) from doing this very thing. Also have no feeling in the tip of my thumb (left, again) because of it. Apparently there’s something about nerves getting cut that’s not repairable by the “slap a bit of sticky tape on it and move along” method. Shallow slices, not so much. As **Kalhoun** said, all personal experience. My finger is my cite. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/6 "2007-01-04T16:24:15Z")
[QUOTE=Bobotheoptimist] My finger is my cite. [/QUOTE] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/7 "2007-01-04T21:03:04Z")
It’s probably important to reestablish blood supply to the flap of skin, or it will die and fall or shrivel off. (Or needs to be trimmed off later, with a knife.) Small or shallow cuts don’t _look_ serious, so I generally just dab at it with tissue or whatever until the bleeding stops. However, this means that it is more likely to produce a flap of skin that dies from lack of blood. An impressive looking, or heavily bleeding wound gets better care from me, and thus generally heals like it ought to (without any disgusting dead skin flaps swinging in the breeze). ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/8 "2007-01-04T21:38:28Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] 🙂 [/QUOTE] Thanks! I’m glad you got it. On re-reading my own post I think I sounded kind of snotty. Didn’t mean to. ---
**Author:** ![brewha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@brewha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brewha)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/9 "2007-01-04T21:53:19Z")
I just wanted to say that I thought you had alot of balls to post a op with the title “Detached skin on a _cat_” given the demographic of this board. I guess I’m happily disappointed that I just can’t read ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/detached-skin-on-a-cut/386684/10 "2007-01-04T22:27:54Z")
[QUOTE=brewha] I just wanted to say that I thought you had alot of balls to post a op with the title “Detached skin on a _cat_” given the demographic of this board. [/QUOTE] Right, especially without posting pictures.