What size dressing do I need?
Measure the wound, not the limb. A simple rule that avoids both lifting edges and wasted stock.
The single most common sizing mistake is choosing a dressing that matches the area of the body rather than the wound. A knee does not need a knee-sized dressing; it needs a dressing whose pad covers the graze.
The 2cm rule
Take the longest dimension of the wound and add about 4cm — 2cm of clear skin on each side. That gives the adhesive border something to grip that is not damaged tissue. A 4cm graze wants a pad around 8cm across.
Working from our range
- 6 × 7cm — fingers, knuckles, small cuts, most kitchen injuries.
- 6 × 10cm — everyday grazes, shallow scrapes on the forearm.
- 9 × 10cm and 10 × 10cm — knees, elbows, shins.
- 8 × 15cm — larger wounds, longer lacerations once closed.
- 10 × 20cm — post-operative sites and wide grazes.
When in doubt, size up
An oversized dressing is untidy. An undersized one fails: the pad sits partly on the wound edge, the adhesive lands on broken skin, and it lifts. If you are between sizes, take the larger.
Pack size is a separate decision
Size is clinical; pack count is economics. If you get through dressings regularly, the deeper pack is meaningfully cheaper per dressing — our shop shows a per-dressing price on every card so you can compare directly.
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.
Shop the range
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.