Second Skin

Over the past year, I have been seeing a nurse practitioner at the Wound Center at our local hospital. She is absolutely brilliant, creative, and a great, empathetic listener—as are other members of her team. And she has introduced me to a number of wound care products that have made a significant difference in how I manage my digital ulcers.

Her latest suggestion was to try Cavilon™, a 3M product that creates a breathable barrier film on a wound. It comes in small, individual packets, about the size of a sticky note. It also, I just discovered, comes in a small pump-spray bottle, which is probably more efficient.

In any case, the stuff works. You wipe or spray it on the wound and it quickly dries to a clear, waterproof film, protecting the skin without need for a bandage. And, unlike other liquid skin products that I’ve tried, it does not burn.

For years, I’ve wished for a dressing that I could use at the first sign of an ulcer, to prevent it from getting deeper and more problematic, requiring months of bandaging twice a day. I’ve been experimenting with Cavilon for a few days now, and it seems to fit the bill.

In particular, my skin grafts from hand surgery in 2017 get very delicate in the winter, exacerbated by dry heat. Two of the grafts have cracked over the past month, requiring bandages. But right now, as I type, I just have the Cavilon barrier on them. They don’t hurt, they are not cracking or peeling, and best of all, no bandages!

Cavilon is available online. You can learn more about it here. Please note that it is not recommended for infected wounds. And, no, I am not getting paid for my views. Just want to pass along my experience with a game-changing wound dressing. Be well.

Evelyn Herwitz blogs weekly about living fully with chronic disease, the inside of baseballs, turtles and frogs, J.S. Bach, the meaning of life and whatever else she happens to be thinking about at livingwithscleroderma.com. Please view Privacy Policy here.