I found that the epi I had with #1 took a lot longer to heal and was way more uncomfortable than tearing with #2 and #3 because the cut was made off to the side, so everytime I sat or lifted my leg it pulled and felt tight and uncomfortable for ages. I suppose the school of thought will differ on this one, depending on the circumstances as to which one you needed and how bad it was for you. With a tear the edges can be a little messy and hard to stitch up - I have a small skin tag left after having #3 which I will have removed eventually. repairing a cut is much neater, but it is also deeper.