Direct answer first: yes—certain cuts require medical attention. Key signs to watch for include deep wounds, heavy or persistent bleeding, wounds that won’t stop bleeding after 10 minutes of direct pressure, exposure of fat, muscle, tendon, or bone, wounds caused by dirty or rusty objects, puncture wounds, bites, or wounds near joints or in or around the face/eyes. If any of these apply, seek medical care promptly, as they may need cleaning, stitches, tetanus control, or antibiotics to reduce infection risk. Subtopics

• Depth and structure of the wound
  • Wounds visible to fat, tendon, muscle, or bone are more likely to need professional care. Deep or gaping wounds often require closure (stitches, adhesive, or staples) and sometimes debridement or antibiotics to prevent infection. If the wound is deep enough that you can see underlying tissues, treat as potentially serious and seek care.

• Bleeding
  • Bleeding that does not stop with firm pressure after about 10 minutes, or bleeding that is spurting or difficult to control, warrants urgent evaluation. Even smaller cuts can bleed heavily depending on location (e.g., head, face, hands) and clotting status. If bleeding persists, contact a healthcare provider or go to urgent care or emergency services as appropriate.

• Location and cause
  • Cuts near the eyes, on the eyelids, over joints, or from animal or human bites typically require medical assessment due to cosmetic concerns, infection risk, or more complex healing needs. Puncture wounds (e.g., from nails or sharp objects) also have higher infection and tissue damage risk and may need tetanus prophylaxis.

• Signs of infection or complications
  • Redness spreading, warmth, swelling, increasing pain, fever, foul discharge, or wound not healing after a few days/weeks are indicators to seek medical attention. Chronic non-healing wounds (taking longer than 4 weeks) should be evaluated by a clinician.

• When to seek urgent or emergent care
  • If you cannot stop the bleeding with direct pressure, if the wound is deep or gaping, if there’s a possible foreign object embedded, or if there are signs of shock (faintness, pale/clammy skin, confusion) or breathing difficulties, call emergency services or go to the nearest urgent/emergency department. For eyelid/eye involvement or suspected severe injury, urgent care is advised sooner rather than later.

Practical steps if a cut might be serious (when you can do so safely)

• Apply direct, steady pressure with clean cloth or sterile gauze for several minutes until bleeding slows or stops.
• Clean around the wound gently with clean water if possible; avoid strong scrubs or hydrogen peroxide on a fresh wound, as it can delay healing.
• Cover with a clean bandage or sterile dressing to protect from infection.
• If bleeding does not stop within 10 minutes of pressure, seek medical care.
• Check tetanus vaccination status and consider a booster if due, especially for dirty or puncture wounds.

Notes

• Minor cuts or scrapes can often be managed at home with basic first aid, but when any of the above high-risk features are present, professional assessment improves healing and reduces infection risk.
• If unsure, it’s safer to get evaluated by a healthcare professional, particularly for wounds on the face, hands, feet, joints, or over muscular areas, or when signs of infection emerge.

If you’d like, describe the cut’s location, depth, bleeding behavior, and any exposure of tissue, and a more tailored assessment can be provided.