What are the types of wound dressing, and how are they used?

Published: May 2019

Last Reviewed: March 2025

When treating wounds, no injury is too small to ignore. Even minor cuts or burns require proper cleansing and dressing to prevent complications and promote healing.

Modern wound dressings have evolved significantly, incorporating cutting-edge medical technologies to provide superior protection. They come in various shapes, sizes, and materials, each designed for specific injuries.

In this article, we'll explore the different types of wound dressings available and some innovative solutions you may not be familiar with.

Advanced wound dressing is a medical material that covers and protects a wound, promoting healing while preventing infection and further injury. Dressings come in various types, each designed for specific wound conditions, such as cuts and grazes, burns, surgical wounds, or chronic ulcers.

Common advanced wound dressing types include hydrocolloid, cloth, gauze, alginate, foam, and collagen. Each offers different benefits depending on the wound's severity and healing stage. Using the right wound dressing is important for optimal healing. The choice of dressing depends on factors such as wound size, depth, exudate level, and risk of infection.

Read on to discover types of wound dressings to help you choose the right dressing for optimal healing.

Cloth is one of the most commonly used wound dressings. It is often applied to open wounds, broken skin, or minor injuries such as cuts or grazes. Some dressings may be coated with antiseptic for added protection.

Cloth dressings help keep wounds dry, reduce infection risk, and provide long-term protection, especially for non-acute wounds or those with moderate fluid discharge.

However, cloth dressings are not always suitable for large, deep, or highly exuding wounds, as they offer less barrier protection than advanced materials like hydrocolloid or foam dressings.

While cloth dressings are often used for simple, everyday wounds, gauze is more commonly applied in medical settings for deeper wounds, post-surgical care, and as a secondary dressing to secure other wound treatments.

Gauze is a lightweight, loosely woven medical fabric used for wound care. It is typically made from cotton or synthetic fibres and is highly absorbent, making it ideal for managing wounds that produce exudate (fluid). Gauze dressings help protect wounds, promote healing, and prevent infection by allowing airflow while keeping contaminants out.

Hydrocolloid is an advanced wound dressing that promotes healing by creating a moist environment around the wound. Hydrocolloid technology in the dressing mass absorbs wound fluid, creating a moist wound healing environment. Moist wound healing conditions are known to speed up the healing process, compared to dry wound healing.

Hydrocolloid dressings are ideal for cuts, abrasions, minor burns, blood blisters, and small post-surgical wounds. However, they may not be suitable for heavily infected or highly exuding wounds, requiring different dressings for effective care.

Elastoplast Second Skin Protection Hydrocolloid Advanced Plaster is an ultra-thin, flexible, self-adhesive hydrocolloid plaster designed to protect and treat everyday wounds. Learn more about the benefits of this next-generation plaster:

• 100% waterproof yet breathable material, making it ideal for swimming or showering.
• Creates a protective barrier that seals out dirt and bacteria, ensuring a clean environment for optimal healing.
• Maintains a moist wound environment that boosts new tissue formation.
• Reduces pain and offers comfort with an extra-strong hold lasting several days.
• Easy to apply to the wound surface.

Learn more about the guide on how to use hydrocolloid plasters for optimal healing.

Hydrocolloid technology is also available for larger wounds with our Second Skin XL Dressings. These dressings also create a moist healing environment and are highly flexible, conforming to the shape of the wound while providing comfortable wear for an extended period.

Designed for maximum patient comfort, hydrogel plasters or dressings are ideal for wounds with little to no fluid, particularly painful wounds, pressure ulcers, and donor sites. These advanced wound care products contain a high-water-content gel that promotes a moist healing environment.

They are suitable for treating dry wounds, burns, abrasions, and blisters but are not recommended for heavily bleeding or infected wounds. Like hydrocolloid dressings, they maintain moisture, but hydrogel is better for hydrating and soothing, while hydrocolloids are more effective at absorbing fluid and protecting healing tissue.

Generally made from polyurethane, transparent plaster is a thin, flexible, and transparent medical dressing. It is designed to cover minor wounds, cuts, post-surgical wounds, blisters, and abrasions while allowing the skin underneath to breathe. These film dressings allow oxygen to penetrate through the wound. They can stay in place for up to one week and provide visibility of the wound, allowing you to monitor its healing without removing the dressings.

Elastoplast Scar Reducer Patches are discreet, water-resistant, and made from transparent, flexible polyurethane. Hydrating and warming the tissue helps reduce the visibility of raised and discoloured scars, making scars flatter, lighter, and softer. They are easy to use and visible improvements can be seen within 3-4 weeks.

Foam dressings are gentle on delicate wound beds and less likely to stick. They can be used on minor burns, skin grafts, or pressure ulcers. They are made from soft, absorbent foam material and keep the wound moist, promoting faster healing.

This type of plaster is ideal for moderate to heavily exuding wounds, such as pressure ulcers, burns, or surgical sites. They also protect against friction or impact. These dressings help reduce the risk of infection while supporting faster recovery.

Effective for wounds with heavy exudate, alginate is a naturally derived substance used in advanced wound dressings. It is made from the salts of alginic acid, which is extracted from brown seaweed.

Alginate dressings are best for wounds with moderate to heavy exudate, such as pressure ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, surgical wounds, and deep wounds. When alginate dressings encounter wound fluid, they form a soft gel-like substance that helps maintain a moist healing environment, absorb excess fluid, and promote faster tissue regeneration.

Due to their high absorbency, alginate dressings typically need to be changed every two days, and a secondary dressing is always required to keep them in place.

Collagen dressings help new skin cells grow on chronic or surgical wounds, transplant sites, burns, or injuries with a large surface area. They are designed to promote wound healing by stimulating the body’s natural tissue repair processes. Collagen helps attract new skin cells, supports new blood vessel formation, and encourages healthy tissue growth.

Following the steps below when applying a dressing to a wound is important to promote optimal healing and prevent infection.

1. Clean your hands: Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use hand sanitiser to minimise the risk of infection. It is also recommended that you wear disposable surgical gloves.
2. Clean the wound: Gently rinse the wound with clean water or wound spray to remove dirt and debris. Elastoplast Wound Spray is a fast, pain-free antiseptic that helps protect the wound from infection, making it an effective option for cleansing minor wounds. Wound cleansing is the most important step for optimal healing and preventing infection.
3. Stop any bleeding: If the wound is bleeding, apply gentle pressure with a clean cloth or sterile gauze until the bleeding stops.
4. Apply the right dressing: Choose the right dressing for your wound type. Make sure you use a dressing slightly bigger than the wound you want to cover. A simple adhesive plaster is sufficient for minor cuts and grazes. Use an appropriate dressing like hydrocolloid, cloth, gauze, foam, or alginate for larger or exuding wounds.
5. Secure the dressing: Use adhesive strips, medical tape, or a bandage to keep it in place, ensuring it is firm but not too tight to restrict blood flow.
6. Change the dressing regularly: Replace the dressing as needed, usually once it becomes wet or dirty or as recommended by healthcare professionals. Typically, you must change dressings every 1 – 3 days, which can vary. Some advanced dressings can stay on for several days.
7. Dispose of the waste: Safely dispose of used dressings, gloves, and other waste in a sealed bag.
8. Monitor the wound: Check for signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, pus, or increased pain. If the wound worsens or does not heal properly, seek medical advice.

Proper wound care is essential for optimal healing if you’ve suffered a cut, graze, or scratch. First, clean the wound thoroughly and disinfect it using Elastoplast Wound Spray. Cleaning helps remove dirt, bacteria, and other contaminants, reducing the risk of infection.

Once the wound is clean, choose the right dressing based on its size and location.

• For small cuts and grazes, use plaster from the Elastoplast Plastic or Fabric range. These plasters come in various sizes and can be cut for a precise fit. For finger injuries, Elastoplast Finger Strips offer secure and flexible coverage.
• For larger scrapes and wounds, opt for an Elastoplast Post-Operative Plasters, available in XL or XXL, designed to protect and cushion bigger wounds while allowing the skin to breathe. For more detailed guidance on protecting larger wounds, click here.

Proper wound care ensures faster healing and helps prevent infection, so always take the time to treat even minor injuries with care.

Always see a doctor if the wound is deep, bleeds heavily or shows signs of infection like reddening, swelling or warmth.

Please note that, although these were compiled with great care, the tips and advice given on this website by no means substitute medical advice and treatment. If you have or suspect a health problem, consult a doctor and follow medical advice regardless of what you have learned on this website.

Always read carefully and follow the instructions for use or the product leaflets. For further information about our products, please contact us via email at ConsumerRelationsUK@Beiersdorf.com.