Wound healing is a complex biological process involving multiple stages, including coagulation, inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. In recent years, the theory of moist healing has gradually been widely accepted and has become an important concept in modern wound management. Under this theoretical framework, humidity is considered to be one of the key factors affecting wound healing.

What is moist healing?

The moist healing theory holds that keeping the wound moist can promote the healing process. This concept originated in 1958 when studies found that wounds with intact blisters healed significantly faster than wounds with ruptured blisters. In 1962, British researcher GD Winter's experiment further confirmed the importance of a moist environment for wound healing and found that covering the wound with a polyethylene film could significantly increase the epithelialization rate.

Why is wound healing affected by humidity?

1. Effect of humidity on cell activity

In a humid environment, the activity of cells is significantly enhanced. Humidity can promote the release of a variety of cytokines, such as growth factors and cytokines, which promote the proliferation and migration of fibroblasts and epithelial cells, thereby accelerating the wound healing process. At the same time, a humid environment can also reduce the formation of scabs on the wound surface, thereby avoiding physical obstruction to new epithelial cells.

2. Reduce the risk of infection

 Moist healing forms a protective barrier by keeping the wound moist, reducing the invasion of external bacteria. The infection rate of moist dressings is relatively low, only 2.6%. In contrast, dry healing methods are prone to cause trauma during dressing replacement due to adhesion between the dressing and the wound, increasing the risk of infection.

3. Promote the dissolution of necrotic tissue

Maintaining moderate humidity can promote the dissolution of necrotic tissue in the wound. The bioactive substances in the moist environment, especially tissue protein lytic enzymes, can effectively remove necrotic tissue, which is crucial for the healing process. Studies have shown that moist healing can promote macrophages to release growth factors, stimulate the formation of capillaries, and thus improve the wound microenvironment.

4. Regulate oxygen tension and angiogenesis

A moist wound environment is usually accompanied by a lower oxygen tension, and this hypoxic state can promote angiogenesis. Studies have found that under hypoxic conditions, the growth rate of fibroblasts is accelerated, promoting the formation of granulation tissue. This is contrary to the traditional view that healing requires sufficient oxygen, indicating that under certain conditions, a low-oxygen environment may be more beneficial to the healing process.

5. Reduce scar tissue formation

Moist healing can also reduce the formation of scar tissue to a certain extent. Keeping the wound surface moist can avoid the formation of scabs, reduce mechanical damage to new epithelium and tissue, and thus reduce the chance of scar formation.

Humidity plays a vital role in wound healing. By keeping the wound moist, it can effectively promote cell activity, reduce the risk of infection, promote the dissolution of necrotic tissue, regulate oxygen tension, and reduce scar formation. Therefore, in clinical practice, the use of moist healing methods will help accelerate the wound healing process and improve the patient's treatment effect. With the in-depth study of the moist healing theory, it is expected that more effective moist dressings and treatment strategies will be developed in the future to further improve the effect of wound management.

For more information on Innomed® Polyurethane foam dressing, Refer to the Previous Articles. If you have customized needs, you are welcome to contact us; You Wholeheartedly. At longterm medical, we transform this data by Innovating and Developing Products that Make Life easier for those who need loving care.

Editor: kiki Jia