You have been given custom compression garments. Compression garments are worn after a burn to reduce scarring, to help scar mature, and improve the look of your injured skin. To achieve this, the garments fit tightly to the injured area. You will need to wear these garments for at least 6 months and sometimes as long as 1-2 years. Your care team will tell you when you can stop wearing your custom compression garments.
If you wear the garments as prescribed, you should have softer, smoother scars. The garments do not return your skin to how it appeared before your injury, but they will help you achieve the best outcome.
Measuring and Fitting
Custom compression garments are made to fit each person. To do this, we take exact measurements of the body parts that need coverage. At follow-up visits, we will reorder custom garments. You may need new measurements to keep the fit correct. You can choose from many colors and styles based on what you like.
Your garment should fit snug. A garment that is too loose will wrinkle and will not help your scar. A garment that is too tight can cause numbness, tingling, or pain. If you have any of these symptoms, remove the garment and call the burn clinic. If you receive garments that do not fit, bring them to your next burn clinic visit or call the clinic. We can send them back to the manufacturer for changes.
Wear and Care
Garments need to be worn 7 days a week, 23 hours daily. They are removed for bathing and scar massage. During early stages of healing, it is common to have blisters and skin breakdown over areas of new skin. If this occurs, stop wearing the garments and call the Burn Clinic.
Hand Washing Instructions
Garments should be washed every day by hand in warm water and mild soap (Ivory, Dove, Dial) and allowed to air dry. It is a good idea to have two complete sets of garments so that a clean set is always ready to wear and provide constant pressure on the burn scars. Garments often last 3 months before stretching out. They are not helpful if they are stretched out.
Who to Call
If you have questions, please contact your provider through MyChart or call your provider listed in your After Visit Summary or After Hospital Care Plan. For a list of UW Health Clinics, visit www.uwhealth.org/.