My Son's 5-Day Wet Dressing Treatment

By Emma Fischer

3 min read

Wet dressings are a great way to help with severe eczema. They cover and protect the skin from the damage caused by a child’s scratching. The application of cool linen can provide relief from the heat and itching sensation of eczema as the water from the linen evaporates. The wet dressings also help to hydrate the skin and enhance the absorption of moisturizers and topical corticosteroids.¹

Have I done this with my son?

Wet dressings can be hard, but if prepared both mentally and with the equipment, it can go smoothly. Little Harry did this 5-day wet dressing, and there was an improvement. This was pretty traumatic for him, but he did amazing standing still for the application and not taking it off.

A photo of a child near tears wearing wet dressings

This 5-day wet dressing treatment is done 3 times a day - in the morning, mid-day, and before bed. Yes, it needs to be worn to bed too.

Before starting, consult your health provider. This was done for Harry through a program at a skin clinic in a children’s hospital.

How do you prepare?

Step 1 - Prepare Yourself Make sure you are mentally prepared for this treatment. It is a lot of work, both physically and mentally.
Step 2 - Gather Materials Cut out pieces of 100% cotton material (can use an old sheet) to the length of limbs, feet, hands, torso, and face (if needed). Also, cut Tubifast Bandages to the size of limbs, torso, and head. For the head one, cut out the eyes and the mouth and nose hole.
Step 3 – Set up Your Station

A setup station for wet dressing treatment, the table is covered in gauze and other relevant products

What should be at your setup station?

Make a setup station for the 5 days. I used it on the end of my kitchen table. The equipment needed:

Bucket with warm water
2 tubs of 500g Dermeze ointment
Wooden medical spatula’s (to stop cross contamination when scooping ointment)
Corticosteroid creams
Pre-cut 100% cotton material
6 crepe bandages (4 for each limb, 2 for the torso)
Tubifast bandages
Towel - to stand on

How do you apply the wet dressing?

Step 1 - Apply a generous amount of steroid cream anywhere there is red on the skin.
Step 2 - Using the wooden medical spatula, scoop out a large amount of ointment and lather all over the body.
Step 3 - Place the 100% cotton material in the bucket of warm water to drench it. Squeeze it enough to stop it from dripping and wrap it around the foot, ankle, and leg all in one wrap. Make sure it is wrapped smoothly with no creases so it is still easy to move around.
Step 4 - Wrap the limb with the wet material with a bandage – to hold the material in place.
Step 5 - Put the Tubifast bandage over the top of the crepe bandage.
Step 6 - Repeat these steps for each limb and torso. For the torso, wrap it around the shoulders and belly like a closed vest.
Step 7 - For the head, only the wet material is on his face. Ensure the holes around the eyes and the mouth and nose hole are big enough to breathe and see. Do not wear this to bed. The Tubifast bandage goes on like a beanie.
Step 8 - Wear normal loose clothing over the top.
Step 9 - Wash all linen and bandages after each wet dressing. I had 3 prepared. One in use, one in the wash, and the other ready for the next use.

This is everything that is worn for wet dressings.

Wet dressings that are ready for application

What else would I recommend?

I found this extremely exhausting, both physically and mentally. When doing the "5-Day Wet Dressing Treatment," make sure you are prepared for an intense week. Since the wet dressing needs to be done 24/7 for 5 days, it’d be best if you cleared your schedule and don’t leave the house.

Note: Since there are lots of layers on (bandages, Tubifast, wet material, clothes), it is harder to move around.

P.S. You don’t have to use corticosteroid ointment if you don’t want to. This was done as a requirement through the clinic to go to the next step for further treatment.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The AtopicDermatitis.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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AJP123 Member
well done <inline-mention username="Emma Fischer" user-id="4262600"/> wet wrapping is alot of hard work. I have mainly used it for my son's feet/ankles or arms. I do sometimes wonder with the advice on this though - it is a big expectation on parents to do this 5 days in a row on top of everything else and on the child to tolerate - the nurses acted like it was no big deal going to the park looking like a mummy. 
1. Emma Fischer Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="AJP123" user-id="6655466"/> You are right. It is a big ask for 5 days in a row. However, Harry’s skin was pretty bad and it was also a requirement (here in Australia) for him to do this to go to the next step for treatment. The hospital here sent out a nurse to my home each time to help apply the wet dressings, so that helped a lot. Also, there was improvement in his skin after day 4-5. So it was definitely worth it for us. You’re right again, it is a big ask on the child to tolerate. And to have to look like a mummy in public. It’s very hard. But you’re doing an amazing job for your son! Emma (AtopicDermatitis.net Team Member)
FindHealingNow Member
Yes, - wet wrapping provides miraculous relief and results for us. I had a doctor tell me once that wet wrapping with steroid ointment was far more effective than taking oral steroids. Effective because the body absorbs far more steroid through wet wrapping, and then you were only getting steroids exactly where you wanted them. I started out much like you, cutting up strips of gauze. Then I discovered I could buy sleeves for leg, arms, even the face. Pricey but SO much more convenient - very much worth it. Just search for "eczema wet wrapping" sleeves and you'll find a bunch. I will often do a couple of nights of wet wrap with steroid ointment and then do a couple of nights with just Aquaphor. Thanks for sharing your experience.
1. FindHealingNow Member
 <inline-mention username="Emma Fischer" user-id="4262600"/> At its worst we were doing full body we wraps on a regular basis. Now my son’s ezcema has become manageable. It seems it will always be a part of his life (unfortunately) but the huge flare ups are now few and far between. Wet wraps are now for the rare flare up. He dry wraps pretty regularly (3 nights per week avg) - sleeves on top of lotion. For him - doing an elimination diet helped identify food sensitivities that triggered his skin. And discovering an allergy to a chemical called propylene glycol was a game changer. PG is in everything from lotions to salad dressing to most OTC medications and more. Any ingredient that says “natural flavors likely has PG. By avoiding these things and keeping a strict skin care regimen he’s able to stay mostly flare up free. 
2. Emma Fischer Moderator & Contributor
 <inline-mention username="FindHealingNow" user-id="4577864"/> I am so glad to hear his skin is now manageable. And well done for finding out some of the things that causes him to flare. That’s a huge achievement! Emma (AtopicDermatitis.net Team Member)