Skin Cancer Service - Plymouth Hospitals

Plymouth Hospital NHS Trust
Skin Cancer Service
Who will remove the dressing when it is due to
come off?
This will be done by the plastic surgery dressing clinic at the
hospital, the district nurse or by your GP practice nurse if you
can attend there. This will be arranged by the ward staff when
you are discharged. The dressing usually loosens itself as the
wound heals, otherwise it can be soaked off in the bath. If the
area is fully healed and dry, then it can be left exposed and you
can massage in cream, such as E45 or Nivea, twice a day.
Do not apply it to raw areas.
Do I have to be careful about what clothing I wear?
Try not to wear articles of clothing that might make you itch or
may be too tight. But if you find that some clothes do rub, a
protective dry dressing should be worn.
Will my donor site look like normal skin when it is
healed?
You can expect your donor site to change colour. At first it can
look bright red, but over several months will become paler.
Eventually it will blend in, but it may end up slightly paler than
your surrounding skin. Be aware that, as with your skin graft,
you should avoid strong sunlight, so you need to cover up or use
total sun block. Advice should be taken from your doctor about
lifting, stretching and returning to work.
If you experience any problems immediately after your discharge
from hospital, you can telephone Lynher Ward anytime on
01752 7922744 for advice. If you experience any problems
once you are under the care of the dressing clinic, please
contact them on 01752 431024 (Monday-Friday, 0830-1630).
Donor Sites
Skin Cancer Service