Silicone dressings are dressings coated with soft silicone as an adhesive or a wound contact layer. These are designed to absorb exudate and maintain a moist wound bed to facilitate fast healing. The soft consistency of silicone allows for atraumatic removal of the dressing and ensures a low risk of maceration. Silicone wound dressing typically has gentle adhesive properties, which means they adhere to the skin without causing undue trauma or damage to the wound bed or surrounding skin during dressing changes. This can help minimize pain and trauma associated with dressing changes. At HPFY, you will get the best superior protection and unmatched comfort with our silicone bandages from top-selling brands and manufacturers.
Silicone Dressing Features
- Are safe, easy to apply, and remove
- Have low thermal conductivity
- Are chemically inert with little effect on cells responsible for healing
- Have low toxicity
- Are waterproof
- Are anti-microbial
- Have high gas permeability
- Are adhesive to dry skin
- Can be used under compression bandages
- Can be cut as per size requirement
How do Silicone Wound Dressings work?
Silicone dressings are soft and tacky and therefore conform well to the surface of dry skin without adhering to the moist wound bed. They create several points of adherent skin contact and form a seal around the wound. These dressings do not lose adhesion, and so can be reapplied multiple times.
Silicone wound dressings are atraumatic because of the hydrophobic property of the silicone, which prevents adherence to moist wound surfaces. They do not impact the wound bed on removal and also do not leave residue behind.
Types of Silicone Dressings
Silicone wound care dressings are available as the primary wound contact layer, silicone foam with adhesive and non-adhesive border silicone sheets with no absorbent dressings attached, and semi-transparent films with silicone as the interface.
- Silicone foam dressings with adhesives are absorbent with a thin adhesive silicone layer that wicks fluid vertically. It minimizes contact of exudate with the peri-wound skin. These are highly breathable dressings with a hydrophilic foam bacterial barrier. They are effective on low-to-high exudate wounds, leg ulcers, pressure sores, skin tears, and minor burns. E.g., Mepilex Border Dressing
- Primary wound contact layers are soft, comfortable, and effective on superficial wounds. They are made of a non-absorbent polyamide net and allow exudate to pass through into a secondary, absorbent dressing. They do not adhere to a moist wound. Silicone dressings for skin tears are common. They also treat abrasions, surgical wounds, second-degree burns, lacerations, leg ulcers, and pressure sores. E.g., Mepitel
- Silicone absorbent dressings have a high exudate absorption capacity with breathable fluid-repellent backing. They are effective on pressure sores, sloughy or granulating wounds, skin graft donor sites, and fungating wounds. E.g., Mepilex Absorbent
- Silicone gel sheets are used on healed wounds and do not require a secondary dressing. Silicone gel for scars is also effective. E.g., TopiGel
Indications
There is an effective use of these dressings for scars. They are designed for temporary use in the management of both existing and new hypertrophic scars and keloids. They work on several types of wounds, such as:
- Venous ulcers/foot/leg ulcers
- Pressure ulcers
- Partial/full-thickness wounds
- Laceration/abrasions
- Partial thickness burn/second-degree burn
- Superficial burn/first-degree burn
- Full-thickness burn/third-degree burn/graft wound
- Moderate-to-highly exuding wounds
- Surgical/post-operative wounds
- Acute/traumatic wounds
- Donor sites
- Diabetic ulcers
- Blisters
- Low-to-moderately exuding wounds
- Arterial ulcers
- Hypertrophic/keloid scars
Contraindications
Silicone dressings for wounds should not be used if:
- The wound is infected, and there is no appropriate antibiotic coverage
- Sensitivity develops in the product
- The user is allergic to silicone products
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is silicone wound dressing used for?
These dressings are used to assist wound healing for a wide range of conditions, including diabetic ulcers, skin grafts, blisters, skin abrasions, and skin tears. They are typically made from medical-grade silicone and are designed to be applied directly to the surface of a wound to provide a protective barrier and support the healing process.
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How long can a silicone dressing stay on?
Some silicone wound care dressings are designed to be left in place for up to 7 days or more, while others may need to be changed more frequently, depending on the level of wound exudate (fluid), the condition of the wound, and the dressing's absorption capacity.
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What are the benefits of silicone bandages?
These dressings are flexible and conformable and provide a protective barrier over wounds, helping to prevent external contaminants, such as bacteria and dirt, from entering the wound site. They are designed to maintain a moist wound environment, which is known to promote optimal wound healing and have gentle adhesive properties, which means they adhere to the skin without causing undue trauma or damage to the wound bed or surrounding skin during dressing changes.
Where to buy Silicone Dressings online?
At HPFY, we have a great collection of fast-healing silicone dressings, which help in expediting the healing process and prevent complications with the wounds. Enhance healing and minimize scarring with our best silicone dressing for wounds.
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