What should you know about split thickness skin graft healing?

A split thickness graft is a thin layer of skin placed over a wound. At first it depends on the wound bed for nourishment; later, small blood vessels grow into it. The graft may appear pink, red, dusky, or uneven while it settles. The donor site heals separately and can feel tender or tight. Healing time varies with the wound’s size and location, blood flow, infection risk, and general health, so your surgeon’s examination is more useful than comparing photographs online.

Protect the graft from pressure, friction, stretching, and soaking until cleared. Keep dressings in place as directed and wash your hands before touching nearby skin. Follow instructions for elevation, movement, bathing, and prescribed medicines. Keep the donor site covered according to its dressing plan; do not apply antiseptics, creams, or household products unless recommended. Attend every review because the team may need to check attachment, drainage, color, and both wound edges. Background information is available under [Skin Graft](/treatments/surgical-dermatology/skin-graft/); [Fractional Laser Treatment](/treatments/laser-and-energy/fractional-laser-treatment/) is not a substitute for postoperative care.

Contact your clinician if the graft becomes increasingly painful, loose, pale, dark, swollen, or foul-smelling, or if fluid collects beneath its dressing. Prompt advice is also needed for spreading redness, pus, fever, or feeling increasingly unwell. Seek urgent care for severe bleeding, severe pain with numbness, or a limb that becomes cold or changes color.

Ask what color and drainage are expected, when the graft may get wet, how much movement is safe, and how the donor site should be dressed. Ask when scar care can begin and which symptoms should be reported the same day.