A bumper guide to plasters
28.8.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
From fabric to plastic, breathable to waterproof, sterile to non-sterile, plasters come in a number of different varieties. But why? When should you choose one particular type of plaster over another? This guide covers everything from the chemistry of plaster stickiness to the research behind wound healing.
Let’s start right at the beginning – about 100 years ago, when the first medical plaster for home use took the European market by storm. In 1922, Beiersdorf launched Hansaplast, the plaster with the built-in gauze pad that we’re all familiar with. It was based on a zinc oxide-rubber plaster called the Leukoplast, which Beiersdorf had been selling since 1901. In the US, Johnson & Johnson brought its first Band-Aids to market back in 1921. They were initially sold by the metre and cut down to size.
With that, different types of plaster started popping up like mushrooms. Today, I’ve put together a guide to help you make sense of them.
The classic: all-purpose plasters for your medicine cabinet, handbag or first aid kit
This one’s a combination of an adhesive back and a dressing, which, in some plasters, is covered with a perforated film to prevent anything from sticking to the wound. These ordinary plasters are suited to small, superficial cuts and scrapes that bleed very little. It’s up to you whether you go for pre-cut strips, a roll for cutting to size or varieties decorated with colours or patterns.
Which material is best for what?
Fabric plasters made of woven or fibrous material are breathable, stretchy and comfortable against the skin (linked article in German). This makes them a good option for wounds on joints or long-term wear. Plastic or film plasters made of polyethylene, on the other hand, are water- and dirt-repellent, often very thin and also available in transparent versions (linked article in German). They’re ideal for wounds likely to come into contact with water or the heavy friction and sweat generated by a workout. In a nutshell, go for fabric for comfort, film for better protection.
Source: DHurley/Shutterstock
Why is the type of adhesive so important?
The adhesive is the main thing determining how well a plaster will stick – and how painful it’ll be to remove. The exact composition of adhesive varies from one manufacturer to another, and is usually a closely guarded trade secret. Broadly speaking, there are two main types of adhesives. Firstly, there’s zinc oxide-rubber adhesive: an extremely sticky mixture of natural rubber, resins and zinc oxide. Even if it’s exposed to water, sweat or a lot of movement, it won’t buckle. That’s why it’s typically the chosen adhesive for the likes of surgical or athletic tape. Polyacrylate adhesive, on the other hand, doesn’t stick as well, but it’s naturally more breathable and can be removed fairly painlessly (linked article in German). As a result, polyacrylate is better suited to people with sensitive skin, such as newborn babies or the elderly. Plus, it’s often used in typical wound plasters.
Both adhesives can cause allergic reactions. Natural rubber contains latex proteins, a common cause of contact allergies. Acrylates are generally easier for the skin to tolerate. That being said, they sometimes irritate the skin too, especially with prolonged contact (linked article in German). If you’ve ever developed a red, itchy rash around a plaster, the adhesive was the likely culprit. However, only an allergy test could give you a definitive confirmation.
When does a plaster need to be sterile?
For clean, minor, everyday wounds, a non-sterile plaster usually does the trick. Sterile ones are needed for surgical wounds, dirty or deep wounds, bite wounds, people with weakened immune systems or people with diabetes. Wound closure strips – or Steri-Strips – are a special kind of sterile plaster. Applied directly to wounds, they’re used to close small, clean cuts without stitches. A crucial, but often forgotten detail about these plasters? Touching them without washing your hands first renders them useless.
Air it out or keep it moist?
When it comes to this issue, the medical profession has taken a real U-turn. Until the 1960s, people generally thought that wounds had to heal in the open air. To this day, that guiding principle has stayed firmly entrenched in many people’s minds. However, as British researcher George Winter demonstrated in 1962, tissue regenerates significantly faster under a moisture-proof film than under a dry scab. At the same time, the film still needs to be breathable. This is made possible by the fact that modern-day plaster films are semipermeable (article in German). They allow oxygen to pass through but keep wound fluid from escaping. Waterproof plasters work in the same way.
Which plasters should you use for blisters, pimples and corns?
Blister plasters consist of hydrocolloid particles, which combine with wound exudate to form a gel (page in German). This holds onto moisture while providing cushioning, relieving pain caused by pressure on the blister. The same material is used in pimple patches. These mini hydrocolloid plasters absorb pus and sebum and create a moist microenvironment to promote better wound healing. Small-scale, preliminary studies suggest they might be effective on spots that have burst and become inflamed. However, there’s no solid scientific evidence that they’re guaranteed to be effective on all types of acne (article in German). As for corns, there are two types of plasters. Hydrocolloid-only plasters soften corns by moisturising them, just like blister and pimple patches. Meanwhile, patches containing salicylic acid also chemically remove corns.
Plasters that technically aren’t plasters
Then there are the plasters that aren’t really plasters. Products that bear little resemblance to the traditional sticky-backed design with its built-in layer of gauze. Spray and liquid plasters, for instance, don’t involve any kind of solid plaster element (linked website in German). Instead, a polymer solution is applied to the wound, forming a thin, transparent, waterproof protective film as it dries. They’re well suited to wounds in places where a regular plaster or bandage will struggle to stick, such as on fingertips or joints. However, they’re not suitable for deep, oozing or bleeding wounds.
While they may have a plaster-style appearance, kinesiology tape and athletic tape aren’t classed as plasters either. Instead, they’re support wraps designed to stabilise muscles and joints. Plus, they aren’t fitted with gauze pads.
And then, there are heat patches (linked website in German). These generate heat as the result of a chemical process, which can help relieve muscle tension. Capsaicin patches, on the other hand, create a warming sensation by irritating the skin with capsaicin.
Finally, there are medicated patches, such as nicotine, pain-relief or hormone patches. These basically use the skin as a gateway to deliver active ingredients (nicotine, painkillers or certain hormones) into the bloodstream in a controlled way (linked website in German).
To come back to the original question, do we really need this many different plasters? And when is a regular plaster enough? For most everyday cuts and scrapes, a conventional plaster is more than good enough. However, the other varieties have their uses, too. Especially when factors like water, sport, sensitive skin or different scenarios such as pimples or tension-related pain come into play.
Header image: Towfiqu Barbhuiya/Pexels
Anna Sandner
Senior Editor
Anna.Sandner@galaxus.deScience editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.
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