# Wound dressings

> A wound dressing is a covering that protects damaged skin and helps keep a wound moist but not too wet while it heals. It doesn't heal the wound by itself, and no single type suits every wound, so the right choice depends on the wound.

Guide in [Treatments](https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/topics/treatments), from Foot Ankle Lower Limb: https://footanklelowerlimb.com.au/learn/wound-dressings
Reviewed by Andrew Schox, BSc(Hons) PGradDipPod MPod (Podiatrist) on 27 October 2026.
Next review by 27 October 2027.

- **A dressing supports healing; it doesn't heal the wound.** It protects the area and helps create good conditions for repair.
- **The aim is moist, not soggy.** Different dressings suit wet, dry, deep or infected wounds.
- **No single dressing is best for every wound.** The right match for your wound, and treating its cause, matter most.
- **Some wounds need checking sooner:** foot wounds with diabetes, signs of infection, or a wound not improving after four weeks.

## What are wound dressings, and how do they work?

A wound dressing is a material placed over damaged skin. It doesn't heal the wound by itself. Chosen well, it creates a good environment for healing [1].

Dressings that keep a wound moist are now thought to give the best conditions for healing [2]. A little wound fluid (exudate) is a normal part of repair, but too much or too little can slow healing, so the dressing needs to manage it [3]. Traditional gauze can dry out, disturb the healing wound and damage tissue when it's removed [2].

A dressing looks after the wound's surroundings, not what caused the wound [4].

## What are wound dressings used for, and how well do they work?

Dressings are used on many kinds of wounds, but no one type has been shown to be best. For chronic wounds (ones that are slow to heal), such as venous leg ulcers, diabetic wounds and pressure ulcers, no single dressing is superior [5]. Foam, alginate and hydrocolloid dressings aren't clearly better than other dressings either [6].

Some specific results:

- In adults with acute diabetes-related foot ulcers (open sores), silver dressings didn't improve healing at 12 weeks [7].
- Negative pressure wound therapy (a specialised dressing treatment) may reduce the size of diabetic foot ulcers in adults, but the benefit is uncertain [8]. One trial found it no better than standard moist wound care for closing them [9].
- For closed surgical wounds in adults, silver and DACC dressings (antimicrobial dressings) probably lower the risk of infection. For other antimicrobial dressings it isn't clear [10].

These results are for particular wounds and for adults, so they may not apply to other wounds or to children.

## Is a wound dressing right for me?

Whether a dressing suits you depends on the wound (how wet, dry, deep or infected it is), your circulation and any allergies. A few examples:

- Alginate dressings (very absorbent) suit wounds that weep a fair amount, and aren't suggested for dry wounds [5]. Hydrofiber dressings also shouldn't go on dry wounds [6].
- Hydrocolloid dressings suit light to moderately weeping wounds, and are recommended for children's wounds because taking them off doesn't cause pain [5]. They aren't suitable for deep wounds, especially infected ones [11].
- Dry, dead-looking tissue on the foot or lower leg, and a stable, firmly attached heel scab (eschar), shouldn't be cut away or moistened until a health professional has checked your circulation. The area is kept dry [1].
- Hydrogel, hydrocolloid and silver dressings have been linked with skin allergy [12], and tape is a common cause [2]. Tell whoever dresses your wound about any past reactions. Secondary dressings and tape should be snug, not tight, especially if you have poor circulation in your legs [2].

## What happens when a wound is dressed?

It starts with a look at the wound bed (the wound's surface), how much fluid it makes and any sign of infection. The dressing is then matched to what's found, and complicated combinations are avoided [1].

The dressing is usually sized to reach 2–3 cm beyond the wound edge [4]. Some types, such as alginate, need a second layer over the top [11].

There's no set number of changes: it depends on the wound and how much fluid it makes. Needing a change more than three times a day suggests a heavily weeping wound, while 1–2 a day suggests a mild one [12]. At each change, look at the skin around the wound for soggy areas. A wound that weeps more when it should be healing needs reassessing [1].

## What are the risks and side effects?

Problems with dressings are mostly local, and often come from a poor match between the dressing and the wound [2]. They include:

- skin allergy to the dressing or its tape [12];
- maceration (soggy, softened skin around the wound), when a dressing absorbs too little for a very weepy wound [2];
- pain and tissue damage when a very absorbent dressing is removed from a dry wound [2];
- hypergranulation (extra tissue growth) after long use of hydrocolloids on wetter wounds [6].

No severe side effects were reported with hydrogel dressings in clinical trials [13]. Stop using a dressing or tape that causes a reaction, and ask about a different product [2].

## How do dressings compare with other options?

No single dressing is clearly better than the rest [5], so the choice rests on the wound's features rather than a product name [12]. Moist dressings may speed healing compared with traditional gauze left to dry [3]. When options are otherwise equal, cost can help decide [6].

Dressings aren't an either/or choice with treating the cause. Pressure on the area, poor vein circulation, poor nutrition and other health conditions need attention alongside the dressing. If they aren't treated, a wound is unlikely to heal [1].

## When to see a podiatrist

Ask a podiatrist which dressing suits your wound and what's behind it, especially if it's slow to heal.

> [!see] If you have diabetes
> See your GP or a podiatrist the same day if you have a wound, sore, blister or colour change on your foot, rather than treating it yourself. The same goes for a foot wound if you have poor circulation: have it assessed promptly.

See your GP or a podiatrist the same day if:

- you have spreading redness, heat, swelling or pus around a wound [14];
- you have a fever or chills with a wound [12];
- an object is stuck in the wound, or it's a bite.

For urgent advice when it isn't an emergency, call healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (24 hours a day), or go to a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic.

Call 000 and ask for an ambulance if you have a wound or infection and also have confusion or slurred speech, severe shivering or muscle pain, are passing little or no urine, have severe breathlessness, or have mottled or discoloured skin, or if bleeding won't stop.

Go to the nearest emergency department if you have diabetes and a foot infection that's spreading fast, with a fever and feeling very unwell.

See your GP or a podiatrist if:

- a wound hasn't improved after four weeks, or hasn't healed after about four weeks [4][15]. They may reassess it and consider a biopsy or a specialist wound clinic;
- a wound is weeping more when it should be healing. If you're older, have diabetes or have a weakened immune system, infection may not show the usual signs, so more fluid is worth getting checked [1].

## Common questions

### How often should a wound dressing be changed?

There's no single schedule. It depends on the wound and how much fluid it makes: a dressing that's soaked through needs changing sooner. Your podiatrist or nurse will set a plan for your wound. Look at the skin around it at each change, and let them know if the wound is weeping more than before.

### Is it better to keep a wound covered or let it air out?

Covering a wound with a dressing that keeps it moist, but not soggy, is generally preferred to leaving it open to dry. A dried-out wound can heal more slowly, and a dressing that has dried onto it can hurt when removed. Your podiatrist or nurse can suggest a dressing that suits your wound.

### Which dressing is best for a wound with a lot of fluid?

Very absorbent dressings, such as alginate, hydrofiber or foam types, are designed for wounds that weep moderately to heavily. They aren't suited to dry wounds. A dressing that absorbs too little can leave the skin around the wound soggy, so it's worth asking a podiatrist or nurse to choose one for you.

## Further reading

- [Wound dressings on Clindice](https://clindice.com/wound-dressings)
- [How wounds heal: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000741.htm), MedlinePlus
- [Wounds, cuts and grazes](https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/wounds-cuts-and-grazes), healthdirect
- [norfolk & Waveney CCG wound care Formulary companion and guide](https://nwknowledgenow.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/WoundCareFormulary_PPMO_Dressings_01012026.pdf), NHS
- [Changing your dressing at home](https://www.chelwest.nhs.uk/your-visit/patient-leaflets/surgery-services/changing-your-dressing-at-home), NHS
- [Cuts and grazes](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cuts-and-grazes/), NHS

## Sources

1. Gloucestershire Wound Care Dressing Guidance · NHS. https://www.gloshospitals.nhs.uk/media/documents/Wound_Care_Dressing_Guide_2025.pdf
2. Wound dressings · Jones V, Grey JE, Harding KG · BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.) · 2006. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.332.7544.777
3. The biological and physiological impact of the performance of wound dressings · Cullen B, Gefen A · International Wound Journal · 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.13960
4. An update on wound management · Sussman G · Australian Prescriber · 2023. https://doi.org/10.18773/austprescr.2023.006
5. Wound dressings - a review · Dhivya S, Padma VV, Santhini E · BioMedicine · 2015. https://doi.org/10.7603/s40681-015-0022-9
6. First-Line Interactive Wound Dressing Update: A Comprehensive Review of the Evidence · Weller CD, Team V, Sussman G · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2020.00155
7. Prospective randomised placebo-controlled trial assessing the efficacy of silver dressings to enhance healing of acute diabetes-related foot ulcers · Lafontaine N, Jolley J, Kyi M et al. · Diabetologia · 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-022-05855-7
8. Effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy in treating diabetic foot ulcers: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials · Dalmedico MM, Fedalto AR, Martins WA et al. · Wounds · 2024. https://doi.org/10.25270/wnds/23140
9. Negative pressure wound therapy compared with standard moist wound care on diabetic foot ulcers in real-life clinical practice: results of the German DiaFu-RCT · Seidel D, Storck M, Lawall H et al. · BMJ Open · 2020. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026345
10. Antimicrobial dressings for the prevention of surgical-site infection: systematic review and meta-analysis · Yusuf SM, James J, Chong B et al. · The British Journal of Surgery · 2026. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjs/znaf277
11. An Overview of Wound Dressing Materials · Lagoa T, Queiroga MC, Martins L · Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph17091110
12. Choosing a Wound Dressing Based on Common Wound Characteristics · Dabiri G, Damstetter E, Phillips T · Advances in Wound Care · 2016. https://doi.org/10.1089/wound.2014.0586
13. Hydrogel-based dressing for wound healing: A systematic review of clinical trials · Hosseini SA, Noruzi S, Kesharwani P et al. · International Journal of Biological Macromolecules · 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.142322
14. Wounds · Government of Western Australia. https://www.healthywa.health.wa.gov.au/Articles/U_Z/Wounds
15. Wounds, cuts and grazes · Healthdirect Australia · 2026. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/wounds-cuts-and-grazes

---

This page is general information, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan for you. For advice about your own feet or legs, see a podiatrist or your doctor. In an emergency, call 000.