I have 2 cotton stitches from a short time ago. do they need to be removed or is my body capable to handle the cotton. just want to make sure the risk of infection is minimal at best.

Best : Best to remove the cotton stitches. They would take years to dissolve.

It : It depends somewhat on where these sutures are located. Cottton has not been used for suture material in the us for avery long time. Cotton can be quite irritating to the skin. You need to see your doctor or surgoen to check what the suture material is. Also, if the sutures are exposed on the surface of the skin, they will need to be removed so scarring, irritaion and infection could be avoided. If there are deep stiches and not exposex on the skin surface, they may be fine to leave alone.