Does wet wrap therapy treat atopic dermatitis?

Wet wraps use a damp, soft layer over moisturised skin, usually with a dry layer placed over it. The layers increase contact between emollient or prescribed medicine and the skin, reduce water loss, and create a barrier against scratching. This can make inflamed, dry, itchy patches feel calmer during a flare. Wet wraps manage symptoms and support the skin barrier; they do not remove the tendency to develop atopic dermatitis.

Follow the plan provided for your skin and the product instructions for any prescribed medicine. Use clean materials, avoid wrapping infected or weeping skin unless a clinician has advised it, and stop if burning, marked discomfort, or worsening redness occurs. Keep the skin gently moisturised and avoid overheating. Learn more about the treatment in Wet Wrap Therapy and the condition in Atopic Dermatitis.

Contact a clinician if the flare is spreading, disrupting sleep, or not settling with the agreed plan. Seek prompt care for increasing warmth, pain, swelling, pus, yellow crusting, fever, or rapidly worsening redness, because broken skin can become infected. Breathing difficulty or swelling of the lips or tongue requires emergency help rather than home wrapping.

Ask which areas can be wrapped, whether a prescribed cream should go beneath the damp layer, how long each application should stay on, and how to recognise infection. If the person being treated is a child, ask how to prevent chilling, overheating, or restricted movement.