Moist wound healing: Fast and optimal healing with Hydrocolloid Plasters

Published: July 2021

Last Reviewed: June 2025

Got a cut or abrasion and wondering how to make it heal faster? Medical research shows that moist wound healing helps wounds heal more quickly, reduces the risk of scarring and scab formation, and supports healthy skin recovery.

That’s why Elastoplast Second Skin Hydrocolloid Plasters are designed using the science of moist wound healing. These plasters create a moist, insulated environment that protects the wound from external bacteria and keeps the skin in optimal healing conditions.

Clinical studies show that wounds heal up to two times faster with moist wound care compared to dry or untreated wounds. Discover what medical experts already know—moist wound healing is a more effective and advanced way to care for your skin.

When you’re injured, your body instantly activates its natural healing process to repair the damage and protect against infection. Most minor wounds will heal on their own over time, while more serious injuries may require medical attention.

However, there are ways to support and speed up the healing process naturally—one of the most effective is by keeping your wound moist using specially designed plasters.

Using a plaster like Elastoplast Second Skin Hydrocolloid Plasters, which keeps the wound moist, allows skin cells to grow, divide, and move more rapidly. This can result in up to two times faster wound healing compared to leaving the wound dry and uncovered.

Source: Wigger-Alberti W. et al. J Wound Care 2009 Mar; 18 (3):123-28, 131

Moist wound healing is a natural and effective way to help your skin heal faster. It works by keeping the wound hydrated, which creates the ideal environment for new skin cells to grow and repair the damage.

Unlike dry healing, where scabs form and slow down the healing process, moist wound care supports healthy cell activity, helping the wound close quicker with less risk of scarring.

The goal of moist wound healing is simple: to keep the area moist so your skin can regenerate more efficiently. This method is proven to speed up healing and protect your skin as it recovers. 

Compared to dry wound healing, moist wound healing offers several important benefits:

• Accelerates healing: Keeping a wound moist helps new skin cells move across the wound more easily. This allows the wound to close more quickly than if it were left to dry out.
• Reduces scarring: Moist wound healing supports smoother skin repair, which leads to softer, less visible scars compared to dry wounds that form hard scabs.
• Less pain: Because the wound stays covered and moist, nerve endings are less exposed. This means less pain-especially during dressing changes.
• Supports skin repair: Moisture helps growth factors and healing cells work more effectively, improving how the skin rebuilds itself.
• Protects healthy tissue: Using moist dressings early on helps prevent the surrounding skin from becoming damaged and can stop the wound from getting worse.

Learn more about how moist wound healing supports and accelerates each stage of the natural healing process.

The stages of moist wound healing are the same as natural wound healing: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation, and remodelling (also known as maturation). However, the key difference is that moist wound healing enhances each stage, helping wounds heal faster and with less scarring compared to dry healing.

Instead of letting a wound dry out and form a scab, keeping it moist creates the ideal conditions for the skin to repair itself naturally. Here's how moist wound healing works to support every stage:

• Stops bleeding quickly: A moist environment supports the body’s natural clotting process and helps form a protective barrier over the wound, which kickstarts healing right away.
• Reduces swelling and infection risk: Moisture helps the body’s immune cells move more freely across the wound area, clearing out bacteria and damaged tissue. This helps reduce inflammation and the chance of infection.
• Promotes new skin growth: When a wound stays moist, skin cells can move across the surface more easily to close the wound. It also encourages the growth of new blood vessels and collagen, both essential for skin repair.
• Minimises scarring: Without a dry scab, the skin heals more evenly. Moist wound healing improves collagen structure, resulting in a smoother, less visible scar.

To support moist healing, modern wound care products like Elastoplast Second Skin Hydrocolloid Plasters are specially designed to keep wounds moist while protecting them from dirt and bacteria. This method is often recommended by healthcare professionals for treating cuts, grazes, burns, and other minor wounds.

Covering your wound with a moist wound healing plaster keeps your wound supple and preventing scabs forming. This leads to better mobility, especially if your wound is located on joints such as knees or elbows. On top of that, moist wound healing ensures that removing or changing your plaster remains painless, as none of the newly formed tissue will come off.

Elastoplast moist wound healing products are made with skin-friendly materials designed for maximum comfort and effective healing. Using ultra-thin, flexible, and breathable materials like polyurethane, these plasters stretch with your skin, providing a snug and secure fit. All materials are dermatologically approved and safe for everyday use, even on sensitive skin.

	Dry wound healing	Moist wound healing
After 14 days
	Standard Dressing	Visible improvement in healing speed and scar reduction

Elastoplast Second Skin Hydrocolloid Plasters are advanced, self-adhesive plasters that act like a second skin. Perfect for treating everyday wounds, they are clinically proven to accelerate healing while offering excellent comfort and protection.

Key benefits

• Ultra-thin and flexible – moves with your skin for all-day comfort
• The 100% waterproof and breathable – perfect for showering, bathing, and swimming 
• Long-lasting hold – stays in place securely for several days
• Soothe pain – promotes moist wound healing environment that relieves discomfort and speeds up recovery
• Latex-free – suitable for sensitive skin and allergy-conscious users.

Watch the video below about how hydrocolloid technology works to heal wound or learn more about how to apply hydrocolloid plasters, the benefits, and when to use the plasters here.

Before applying a hydrocolloid plasters, it’s also recommended to use a wound cleansing spray like Elastoplast Wound Spray, to gently rinse away dirt, bacteria, or debris. This reduces the risk of infection and prepares the wound for optimal healing. 

After spraying, gently pat the skin around the wound dry with a clean tissue or sterile gauze. Wait a few seconds to ensure the wound is not wet. Make sure your skin is dry for the hydrocolloid plaster to stick properly. Learn more about wound routine cleansing here.

In moist wound healing, managing wound fluid or exudate is very important. Some wounds produce excess fluid, it can be clear or pus-like, causing them to “weep.” While this fluid helps healing, too much can damage surrounding skin and slow recovery. A weeping wound may also be a sign of infection.

Moist wound dressings are designed to absorb this excess fluid while keeping the wound moist, creating the perfect balance for faster, safer healing without drying out the skin or causing scabs.

Many people think a scab means a wound is healing well—but that’s not always true. In fact, scabs can slow down the healing process and make it harder for your skin to heal smoothly.

With moist wound healing, scabs are less likely to form. This allows the skin to repair itself without interruption, helping new tissue grow more easily and reducing the risk of scarring.

When a wound is left to dry out in the air, a scab will form. But dry conditions make it harder for skin cells to move and rebuild, which can delay healing and leave more visible scars.

By keeping the wound moist with a proper dressing—like Elastoplast Second Skin Hydrocolloid Plasters—you give your skin the best chance to heal faster, cleaner, and with better cosmetic results.

Always see a doctor if the wound is deep, bleeds heavily or shows signs of infection like reddening, swelling or warmth.

Please note that, although these were compiled with great care, the tips and advice given on this website by no means substitute medical advice and treatment. If you have or suspect a health problem, consult a doctor and follow medical advice regardless of what you have learned on this website.

Always read carefully and follow the instructions for use or the leaflets of our products. For further information about our products, please contact us via email at ConsumerRelationsUK@Beiersdorf.com