What is a silicone foam dressing?

Silicone foam dressings are a type of foam dressings that have a soft silicone wound contact layer. This layer forms a seal between the dressing and the wound. The layer ensures that wound fluid, or exudate, is absorbed into the dressing and doesn’t leak onto the surface of the surrounding skin.¹

Soft silicone dressings include a wide range of wound dressings that are coated with soft silicone, either as an adhesive or a wound contact layer. These types of dressings were developed almost 20 years ago with three main goals:

• to minimise trauma and pain when changing a dressing;
• to protect the surrounding, or periwound skin; and
• to promote comfort during wear.²

They are some of the most widely used dressings in the field of advanced wound care.

What are soft silicones?

Soft silicones are a particular kind of solid silicones, which are soft and tacky. These properties help them conform and adhere well to dry surfaces. Soft silicones also have a low level of toxicity and cannot be absorbed by the body. All of these characteristics make them ideal for use in wound dressings.²

What is ‘tack’?

The term ‘tack’ describes a dressing’s ability to stick immediately to a surface. The fact that soft silicone dressings are tacky means that they can create multiple contact points between the dressing and the uneven surface of the wound and skin. This creates a tight seal that prevents wound exudate from leaking onto the surrounding skin.²