Dressings!

Dressings are put on the wound to protect it and create a barrier between your wound and the outside world.

They are applied in a clean environment, and the dressings themselves are clean.

If a dressing becomes wet and soaked, it no longer provides a barrier, and usually needs to be changed.

One of my favourite dressings is 3M Micropore tape (I have no financial interest in this), because you CAN get it wet (not soaking), and it will still stay ON the wound if you pat it dry rather than rubbing on it.

Hand dressings usually consist of many layers (a vaseline impregnated net on the wound, som fluffed gauze, softroll and either a tensor/coban or kling bandage, and you can usually take all the dressings off at 5 days: wash with soap and water and apply a BandAid.

Dressings on the body usually consist of steristrips and maybe a tegapad dressing, clear plastic backing with a pad to take care of the blood coming from wound. A little blood is OK, if it gets soaked, it needs changing.

Steristrips, just like 3M Micropore tape will come off by themselves.

Soap and running water is good for any wound, stagnanat water or soaking of the wound is not.

Ask me if you are unsure.