Taking care of skin that suffers from eczema can be a challenge. The patient’s skin may feel hot and itchy quite often, but proper wet dressing can make a big difference. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of using a wet dressing for eczema, how to apply the wet dressings, and why it’s essential to keep them in place and replace them at the right time.
Benefits of wet dressings
Wet dressings provide a wealth of advantages for a patient suffering from eczema. These types of dressings provide:
- Cooling comfort: Irritated eczema skin can leave a patient feeling like their skin is burning. A wet dressing can provide a cooling effect that relaxes the nerves.
- Itch relief: Eczema skin can be very itchy for a patient, but a wet dressing can help alleviate the feeling of itchiness and the temptation to scratch.
- Infection treatment: Sensitive skin from Eczema can be at high risk of infection. Wet dressings can essentially help clean the skin and remove contaminants.
- Hydration for the skin: Dryness is often an issue for eczema patients. With a wet dressing, the skin stays hydrated more easily.
- Less need for cortisone treatments: While cortisone is a valuable treatment for eczema, a wet dressing can reduce the reliance on cortisoneas the sole option for relief.
Using a wet dressing to take care of skin with eczema can make a big difference in comfort level, irritation level, and pace of healing.
Applying a wet dressing
While wet dressings are a great tool for taking care of eczema skin, they must be applied properly. Here are a few steps to applying wet dressings:
- Soak disposable towels: In a bowl of room-temperature water and bath oil, soak thick paper towels until fully drenched. These towels will hold plenty of water and allow you to use fresh materials with each re-dressing.
- Apply cortisone cream to the irritated skin: Cover the skin with plenty of cortisone cream to help the skin heal. The cream will stay on the skin even after the dressings are applied.
- Apply moisturizer on top of the cortisone cream: Adding moisturizer helps keep the skin wet and absorbent of the cream. This allows for more healing at a faster pace.
- Wrap the wet towels around the skin in several layers: Cover the irritated skin with multiple layers of paper towels, wrapping around as needed. Ensure that all irritated skin is covered.
- Add Hy-Tape to secure the towels in place: Use a waterproof, durable, flexible, skin-sensitive tape like Hy-Tape to keep the towels in place. This tape makes it easy to hold the paper towels steady and allows for easy removal when re-applying wet dressings.
Be sure to consult with your doctor before using a wet dressing system for your eczema. This method is common for patients, but your doctor may suggest other steps as well.
Why plastic wrap isn’t the best option
Some suggest using plastic wrap to secure wet dressings in place. While this may seem like a good idea, it has a few downfalls.
Plastic wrap can’t hold the dressings in place like a proper medical tape. The wrapping can come loose more easily and lead to problems with loose wet dressings. It can also squeeze out water from the paper towels, reducing the amount of hydration for the skin.
It’s always best to use high-quality medical tape to secure any kind of dressing, including wet dressings for eczema.
How Hy-Tape can help
Using Hy-Tape can be a great way to keep wet dressings in place. The tape is waterproof, so it can keep the wet dressings as wet as possible and help prevent leakage. Hy-Tape is a flexible tape that moves with the patient’s movements. It features zinc oxide, a chemical that protects the skin to avoid skin irritation. When Hy-Tape is replaced, it peels off easily and doesn’t leave any residue.
Wet dressings can make a big difference for those with eczema and Hy-Tape can help keep the bandages in place easily. Contact Hy-Tape today to discuss your medical tape needs or to place an order online.