THE INVENTION RELATES TO AN INSTRUMENT FOR STRETCHING THE SKIN FOR CLOSING WOUNDS, HAVING A SKIN EXPANDER, HAVING AT LEAST TWO JAWS (12) MECHANICALLY ADJUSTABLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER IN A TENSION DIRECTION ON THE SKIN EXPANDER, HAVING BARBS (28) ASSOCIATED WITH THE JAWS (12) THAT CAN BE ANCHORED IN THE SKIN IN THE AREA OF THE EDGES OF THE WOUND, WHEREIN A TENSILE FORCE IS EXERTED ON THE SKIN BY MEANS OF THE BARBS (28) BY ADJUSTING THE JAWS (12), SAID FORCE STRETCHING THE SKIN AND DRAWING THE EDGES OF THE WOUND TOWARD EACH OTHER, WHEREIN ONE OR MORE BARBS (28) ARE EACH DISPOSED ON A CARRIER (26) EXTENDING TRANSVERSE TO THE TENSION DIRECTION, WHEREIN THE CARRIERS (26) ARE RELEASABLY MOUNTED ON THE JAWS (12), AND WHEREIN THE CARRIERS CAN BE FIXED IN POSITION RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER BY ATTACHABLE FIXING ELEMENTS (34). THE MOST ILLUSTRATIVE DRAWING IS FIG.1.
