If you do tear, the degree is ranked from first to fourth degree. A first-degree laceration is minor tearing, which heals well on its own with no stitches. Second degree means there is more involvement of the perineal muscles, but the tear doesn’t extend to the anus. Third- and fourth-degree tears extend all the way from the vagina to the anus but differ in how deep they go, with fourth-degree tears extending into the rectum. Third- and fourth-degree tears must be repaired with stitches, which will dissolve on their own after a few weeks.
