Dressings in dermatology

Dressings are applications for wounds, burns, ulcers and other skin lesions to enhance healing. The fibers or threads of dressings act like reinforced bars of concrete, turning a soft supple fabric into a board-like structure. Dressings protect from contamination with soiling, flies and airborne infections. These also prevent bleeding, control edema, keep the area moist with control of exudate, create non-toxic environment making neither slough nor death of tissue and also protect from the effects of rubbing and scratching, so that the inflamed skin may heal. The present review focuses on the different types of dressings (Table 1), their indications, advantages and disadvantages.