Layering: primary, secondary and securing dressings
For anything beyond a simple cut, a dressing is a system of three parts, each with a job.
An adhesive dressing combines all three layers into one product. Larger or wetter wounds often need them separated.
Primary: the contact layer
Sits directly on the wound. Its job is to not stick to it. A non-adherent pad or silicone-faced layer.
Secondary: absorption
Sits over the primary and takes up fluid. Gauze swabs or a foam pad. This is the layer you scale up when a wound is producing a lot.
Securing layer
Holds the whole thing on. Tape, a conforming bandage, or tubular bandage. On fragile skin, prefer bandage to tape — it puts no adhesive on the skin at all.
Why separate them
- You can change a saturated absorbent layer without disturbing the wound contact layer.
- You can scale absorbency independently of wound size.
- You avoid repeated adhesive on the same skin.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.