<s>[INST] Sir, I had a deep cut by glass in my lower lip 4 days ago and was rushed to the hospital and had to get 8 stitches. ts been 4 days and the skin around the stitches has turned black and purple and swelling is also there. MY question is: How long till the purple colour is gone? Will it persist even after getting stitches removed? Should I clean the area around stitches? If yes ,with what I am supposed to clean? How should I brush my teeth? Its really painful if I brush my teeth. [/INST] Hello and welcome to Chat Doctor forums. Usually the skin around stitches will take 7 to 10 days to heal properly, and the healing will be complete by 1 month, depending upon the site of injury, depth of the cut and infections if any. Usually the doctor will give antibiotics for 5 days to accelerate healing and prevent infections. The black color will gradually fade and will disappear when healing is complete. It's not permanent. But the stitch marks will persist for a long time. You haven't mentioned the exact site of the wound on your lower lips. If it involves the inner side of mouth, it's better to avoid brushing for a week. Instead, apply toothpaste in your index finger and brush gently without causing much disturbance to the wound. You can use a good mouth wash twice a day to improve oral hygiene. About Chat Doctor.  Hope this discussion will be helpful to you. Have a great day </s>