Dressings for dry wounds

These include:

• Hydrocolloids. These moist dressings absorb fluids. Hydrocolloid dressings swell and create a gel, allowing the dressing to stay moist — which speeds healing. The gel also absorbs bacteria and inflammatory cells, which are removed when the dressing is removed.
• Polymer films. These synthetic, clear sheets cover the wound and stick to the skin around it to create a barrier. These dressings have the lowest infection rates and fastest healing rates.
• Biodegradable dressings. These dressings use a layer of cells naturally found in the body — such as tiny blood cells (platelets) or a protein found in skin cells (collagen) — to create a barrier over the wound. They're typically used when other dressings haven't worked.