Some heal wounds faster, others fight infection . . . but which SUPER PLASTER is worth the money?
They are the first thing you reach for when you injure yourself and a staple of the first aid box. But gone are the days when the only choice of plaster was a fabric strip — now, there is a multitude of specialised plasters that claim to be ‘antibacterial’ or ‘capable of healing the wound faster’.
Most, of course, come at an extra cost — but are they really worth it? We asked the experts . . . FOR FASTER HEALING Plasters that come with claims about speedier healing normally have a layer of hydrocolloids, a moisture- attracting substance. this moistens and seals the wound, which is what is said to make it heal faster. Products include: superdrug Faster healing hydrocolloid Plasters, pack of 16, £3.09; Boots Faster healing hydrocolloid Plasters, pack of 16, £3.99. Price per plaster: around 19p to 24p. Expert verdict: ‘When the hydrocolloid comes into contact with the warmth of the skin, a gel forms, which seals it in, creating a moist environment that has been found to be the optimum for wound healing,’ says trudie young, a tissue viability nurse and director of education and training at the Welsh Wound Innovation Centre.
‘this means wounds can heal up to three times quicker.
‘But you don’t really need hydrocolloids for everyday superficial cuts, as most healthy people will just heal with an ordinary fabric plaster.
‘they are most useful for people with deep or large cuts or those with impaired healing, such as patients on steroid medication or with poor circulation. they may be left on for five to seven days and they are less painful to remove than standard plasters.’
any plaster can help improve healing, however.
according to Dr Justine hextall, a consultant dermatologist at the tarrant street Clinic in arundel, West sussex, generally wounds left uncovered will dry out and are more likely to scab over, which can cause scarring.
she adds: ‘studies show that a moist environment is optimal for speedier wound healing and to minimise scarring.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 9/10
FOR BLISTERS
thICker than a standard plaster, these are designed to provide padding to protect blisters — the pockets of fluid that develop when skin is damaged by friction (such as from wearing new shoes) — from any further damage. they also contain hydrocolloids, to speed up the healing process. Products include: Compeed Blister Plasters, pack of five, £4.39, Boots; Compeed plasters for high heels, six packs of five, £8.99, amazon.
co.uk; Boots Blister small Plasters, pack of six, £3.79. Price per plaster: 30p to 88p. Expert verdict: Blister plasters don’t just cushion the blister, but treat it, too, says trudie young.
‘When you take it off, after five to seven days, you will find healing has started underneath. (Don’t burst a blister yourself, as it’s the body’s way of preventing further damage to the skin.)
‘With hydrocolloids, the skin cells around the edge of the blister will form a new layer three times faster than without them. Blisters can be very painful, so using plasters can help you carry on with everyday life.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 9/10
FOR MINOR BURNS
DesIgneD to cover minor burns or scalds, these contain hydrogel, a gel that attracts water and helps to moisten, cool and relieve pain. Products include: Boots Burn Plaster kit, pack of five, £3.99. Price per plaster: 79p. Expert verdict: ‘general first aid advice is not to cover a burn with a plaster, but to cool it with cold water for at least ten minutes, because the heat in the burn will still be causing damage after the contact,’ says tracey taylor, education manager at the British red Cross.
‘If the skin is red, peeling or blistered, cover it with cling film or a clean plastic bag, with a view to getting medical attention.
‘I wouldn’t recommend a burns plaster as first aid because the adhesive, sticky part of the plaster could damage burnt skin, which is particularly fragile.’
however, tissue viability nurse trudie young says burns plasters can be applied to minor burns after having cooled the site with water.
‘ they can protect it from infection,’ she says. USEFULNESS RATING: 4/10
FOR MINOR WOUNDS
these butterflyshaped strips can be stretched across the edges of a wound, to reduce the chances of it reopening. they are not suitable to be used on bleeding, infected or weeping wounds. Products include: Masterplast Butterfly Closure strips, pack of 36, £2.99, amazon.co.uk; Boots skin Closures, pack of eight, £2.99; nexcare steri-strip, pack of eight, £2.53, sainsburys.co.uk. Price per plaster: 8p to 37p. Expert verdict: the British red Cross’s tracey taylor says: ‘these may be useful temporarily to hold a small wound together on the way to hospital, but they wouldn’t replace medical attention. any wound that needs pinching together should be looked at by a doctor, as the patient may need stitches or glue.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 6/10
FOR INFECTION
IMPregnateD with silver — which has been found in previous studies to have antibacterial properties, antibacterial plasters are said to kill the bacteria on contact, by damaging the walls of their cells. Products include: elastoplast antibacterial silver Waterresistant Plasters, pack of 20, £4.68, amazon.co.uk; elastoplast silver antibacterial Fabric Plasters, pack of ten, £ 2.50, sainsburys.co.uk. Price per plaster: 23p to 25p. Expert verdict: ‘nICe [national Institute for health and Care excellence] guidelines and research papers state that the silver in the plasters doesn’t boost wound healing — it would be useful only for infection control,’ says Dr sarah Wilkes, an antimicrobial researcher from University College london.
trudie young adds: ‘there isn’t the evidence yet for silver in dressings but, in my clinical experience, I do find that silver in dressings works for infected wounds — particularly in people with diabetes who are prone to healing problems.
‘Other plasters, such as waterproof and hydrocolloid types, do keep germs out, too, but fabric plasters do not.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 7/10
FOR VERRUCAS
CUshIOneD to protect a verruca — a small lump on the sole caused by a contagious wart — these also contain salicylic acid, which breaks down the thickened skin that forms with verrucas and, eventually, helps to destroy the virus. they also contain moisturisers, to soothe the skin.
Products include: Carnation Verruca Care 10 per cent salicylic acid, pack of four, £4.84, amazon.
co.uk; scholl Verruca removal system 40 per cent salicylic acid, pack of 15, £5.99, Boots.
Price per plaster: 40p to £1.21. Expert verdict: ‘the main benefit of verruca plasters is that they provide cushioning for a verruca, which can be painful to walk on,’ says steven thomas, a podiatrist at the Podogo Foot Clinic in london. ‘they also protect others from picking up the virus, which remains contagious on the skin.
‘however, some contain a weak concentration of salicylic acid: you need at least 26 per cent strength for it to work. Children should start on a weaker concentration, about 12 per cent.
‘When it dries, salicylic acid forms a barrier on the skin that will seal off the verruca, so you may be better applying a verruca cream, such as Bazuka extra strength 26 per cent salicylic acid (£5.99, superdrug.com) and a cushioned plaster to protect it.
‘this might be more economical, because verrucas can take a long time to disappear.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 6/10
FOR CORNS
these are cushioned to protect corns, small areas of compressed skin on the toes often caused by the pressure of tight- fitting shoes. the plasters contain salicylic acid, to help break down the affected skin, and a moisturising gel. Products include: Compeed Corn active Plasters, pack of six, £5.99, superdrug.com. Price per plaster: 99p. Expert verdict: ‘Corns are best treated by removal by a podiatrist,’ says steven thomas. ‘It’s quite painless and can be done using a scalpel. Corn plasters are nearly always too big and this can damage the surrounding healthy skin.’ USEFULNESS RATING: 3/10