What should you know about wet wrap therapy before and after?

Wet wrap therapy uses moisturiser, a damp inner garment or bandage, and a dry outer layer. It is commonly considered for difficult flares of [Atopic Dermatitis](/conditions/atopic-dermatitis/), where itch, dryness, and inflammation disrupt daily life. The wrap can cool the skin and keep treatment in contact, but it needs a plan suited to the body area and the person's age, skin condition, and medicines.

Improvement may be noticed as less scratching, tightness, or visible inflammation, but the response varies. The underlying tendency to eczema remains, so maintenance moisturising and an agreed flare plan are still needed after the wraps stop.

Before starting, confirm which product goes on the skin, which areas are included, how damp the fabric should be, and when it should be removed. Use clean materials, avoid tight binding, and check the skin during wear. After removal, pat dry, reapply the recommended moisturiser, wash the fabrics, and record whether itch, sleep, or redness changed. Use the dedicated [Wet Wrap Therapy](/treatments/medical-dermatology/wet-wrap-therapy/) guide for treatment discussions.

Remove the wrap and contact the treating clinician if the skin becomes increasingly sore, hot, swollen, wet, or foul-smelling. Prompt assessment is needed for pus, yellow crusting, fever, rapidly spreading redness, or a child who seems unusually unwell. Breathing difficulty or facial swelling after a product requires emergency help.

Ask how to prepare the skin, whether prescribed medicine should be used under the wrap, how to clean the fabrics, and when the treatment should be reviewed.