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Wound dressing know-how
WOUND DRESSING
KNOW-HOW
Smarten up on treating the most frequent minor
injuries, and find the right wound dressing from
a selection of universal and high-tech solutions.

Don't play down a small wound: Every small impairment of your skin deserves attention and the right treatment, so that your skin can heal properly. Fortunately, today’s wound dressings incorporate the latest medical technologies and come in different shapes, textures and sizes.

Let's guide you through some special solutions that you might not even know about. For example, did you know that today’s generation of Elastoplast plasters can even prevent scarring? Learn how to master minor injuries by finding out what's new and best – and get it right next time a small injury occurs.

SCRATCHES AND CUTS

If you’ve suffered a cut or a scratch (also see Instant Help Cuts and grazes) the first thing to do is to clean and, if necessary, disinfect the wound and make sure that debris or small objects are removed.

If the wound bleeds intensely, as it's sometimes the case with cuts in the face or on a finger, stop the bleeding by applying pressure with a sterile bandage.

Depending on where your wound is located, choose a matching wound dressing. For example, minor wounds in the face can be covered discretely with 100% transparent Elastoplast Invisible Protection patches. A larger scratched area, such as on the knee, will need a stronger plaster such as from the Elastoplast Plastic or Fabric ranges.

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BLISTERS: DON'T POP THEM

Suffering from a blister? Actually, a blister is a clever self-protective measure of your body. If it is still intact, decide whether or not you want to leave it uncovered to let it heal on its own. But if it developed in an area where it might get rubbed, such as on your hand or heel, you should definitely protect the blister from further friction as soon as possible with an Elastoplast SOS Blister plaster. It will not only cushion the blister, but also prevent the protective blister membrane from breaking (also see: Instant Help Blisters in our Beauty and Care section). On broken blisters, you should also apply an Elastoplast SOS Blister plaster as it will provide ideal healing conditions.

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BODY PART LOGISTICS

Usually, our plasters like Elastoplast Plastic or Fabric that are available in different strip sizes or as dressing length (which can be cut to the desired size) will offer the right coverage for most of your wounds. But depending on where your wound is located, there might be other options − plasters having the ideal shape, size, material or adhesion your wound needs.

Find the plaster that best suits your wound's needs in the Elastoplast range. Wounds in the face and on visible body parts can discreetely be covered with Elastoplast Invisible Protection patches, which have the look and feel of a second skin and are 100% transparent.

Very small cuts and scrapes can be covered with Plastic Spots, tiny round plasters.

Larger wounds, such as on knees or other joints that are exposed to a lot of movement and friction are ideally covered with a regular Elastoplast Fabric strip, Elastoplast Heavy Fabric strips or an Elastoplast Knee & Elbow plaster.

In case you suffered an injury on hands or fingers, try the Elastoplast Fabric Hand Pack featuring special shapes for knuckles, fingers and fingertips. The convenient Hand Pack is also available in a waterproof version: Elastoplast Waterproof Hand Pack.

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DRESSING MINOR BURNS

When treating a minor burn at home, the first thing you should do is rinse the area with cool, running water for about ten minutes.
Careful: Never use butter, grease, or powder on a burn.

After cooling the burnt area give your wound the ideal coverage: an Elastoplast SOS Burn plaster. Thanks to its hydrogel wound pad, it will cool and relieve pain, while also promoting faster healing and reducing the risk of blisters and scarring. Note that this only applies to first-degree and minor second-degree burns! See our Instant Help Burns for more information on how to treat burns.

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KIDS' CUTS AND ABRASIONS:
MISFORTUNES WITHOUT TEARS

Children often fall during sports or playtime. Grazes or cuts are often the result. There are child-friendly ways to treat these minor, yet painful, injuries so that misfortunes are quickly forgotten.

Check out the skin-friendly Elastoplast plasters for children with fun motives such as Sesame Street™, My Little Pony™ and Curious George™.

For scrapes or wounds on knees and elbows use an Elastoplast Knee & Elbow plaster.

Teenagers who hurt themselves while doing sports might prefer the durability and strong adhesion of the Elastoplast Heavy Fabric range.

In order to give your family the best wound care there is, you should stock up on plasters in different shapes and sizes and benefit from the broad selection offered in packs such as the Elastoplast Hand Packs containing various shapes of plasters especially suited to fit fingertips, knuckles etc.

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JOINT VENTURE:
SCRAPED KNEES, ELBOWS OR KNUCKLES

Covering fingers, heels, knuckles, and knees can be tricky, as their skin is always in movement, but you‘ll want to keep them covered to keep out dirt and minimize the risk of infection.
Try specialized plasters such as Elastoplast Fabric, Elastoplast Heavy Fabric or of course Elastoplast Knee & Elbow plasters which provide durable protection for those body parts and allow for greater mobility.

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LARGE SCRAPES: COVERAGE XXL

Scrapes or abrasions that cover a large area of skin should be covered up so that they can heal better. Plasters and bandages that promote moist wound healing are ideal. Choose a bandage such as the Elastoplast Fast Healing™ plaster to accelerate wound healing by up to 50*!

*Agren MS et al. Occlusion versus air exposure on full-thickness biopsy wounds.
Journal of Wound Care; 2001, Vol.10, No. 8: 301-304

Best healing conditions
Forget about “being brave” and “not fussing too much” by letting a wound uncovered, even if it is just a scrape or a small cut: Research has shown that covering a wound and letting it heal under moist conditions will accelerate healing and prevent scabs as well as scarring. Find out more – and try Elastoplast Fast Healing™ plasters with the most advanced technology in wound healing.

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Always see your doctor if the wound is deep, bleeding or shows signs of infection like reddening, swelling or warmth. Also make sure to seek medical help if you are not able to clean the wound properly.
 
In case you have diabetes proper wound care is of special importance. Always discuss any concerns you may have with your doctor and/or podiatrist, even for the care of minor wounds and skin cracks – especially on your feet.
 
Please note that none of the tips or recommendations mentioned above substitute medical advice. Carefully read the directions on our product packages. Important: Consult a medical professional in case of any uncertainity of treating your wound properly.
 
The information provided on this website should not be used to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease. It is not a substitute for professional care or advice. If you have or suspect a health problem, you should consult your doctor. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it, because of something you have read on this website.

For further information regarding Elastoplast products, please contact us via e-mail at consumerrelations@bdfcdn.com.

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Instant Help
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Health & Protection
  • Burns
  • Accelerated healing and scar reduction
  • Cuts and grazes
  • First Aid
    • Beauty & Care
  • Blisters
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