Mepore (Absorbant Adhesive Dressing)

An absorbent wound dressing that holds itself in place, breathes, and can be worn comfortably through daily activity makes wound management at home straightforward. Mepore is an absorbent adhesive island dressing from Molnlycke Health Care. The dressing has a soft breathable fabric backing, an absorbent wound pad with a low adherence wound contact layer, and a soft adhesive that holds the dressing against the skin. Two sizes: 10cm x 11cm and 11cm x 15cm. No secondary fixation required. No prescription needed.

Mepore is a regulated medical device from Molnlycke Health Care. It is an absorbent adhesive island dressing in the standard island dressing format: a central absorbent wound contact pad surrounded by an adhesive backing that extends beyond the pad on all sides. The backing material is a soft, breathable fabric backing, and the adhesive is designed to adhere to skin with a gentle bond that reduces the risk of skin trauma at removal.

The wound contact layer within the absorbent pad is designed to have low adherence to wound tissue, reducing the tendency for the dressing to bond to the wound surface as the wound heals and exudate dries. The absorbent pad draws wound exudate away from the wound surface and holds it within the pad material. The breathable fabric backing allows moisture vapour to escape from the pad during the wear period, maintaining the pad's absorption capacity for longer and reducing the warm, moist microenvironment under the dressing that can occur with fully occlusive backings.

Mepore is a practical dressing for everyday wound management, minor surgical wounds, suture line cover, minor lacerations, and other wound situations where a self-adhesive absorbent island dressing is clinically appropriate. It is also used in post-operative wound care where the clinical team has confirmed that an adhesive island dressing is suitable for home management during healing.

Two sizes are available: 10cm x 11cm and 11cm x 15cm. The total dimensions include both the central pad and the surrounding adhesive border.

Mepore requires dry intact skin surrounding the wound for the adhesive border to bond effectively. Do not apply to wet, greasy, excoriated, or fragile periwound skin. Mepore is breathable but is not waterproof. Protect from prolonged water contact during bathing and showering. If the wound contact pad feels adherent at removal, dampen with water or sterile saline before lifting. Do not peel the border upward at a sharp angle from fragile or elderly skin.

Breathable Non Woven Backing

The backing of Mepore is a soft woven fabric backing rather than a plastic or film material. This type of fabric backing is permeable to moisture vapour - the microscopic structure of the fabric allows water vapour produced by the skin and the wound to pass through the backing and evaporate rather than accumulating beneath the dressing. This breathability keeps the skin beneath the adhesive border drier and more comfortable during extended wear, and helps the pad maintain its absorbent capacity throughout the wear period.

Absorbent Pad and Low Adherence Wound Contact

The central pad absorbs wound exudate from the wound surface and holds it within the pad material. The wound contact layer in contact with the wound surface is designed with low adherence properties, reducing the risk of the pad bonding to wound tissue as the wound heals. This allows the dressing to be removed at each change with less disruption to the wound surface than a standard gauze pad would cause. When the pad is saturated or the change interval has been reached, the dressing can be peeled away from the wound with the adhesive border.

Soft Adhesive Border

The adhesive on the backing is formulated to provide a secure bond to intact skin while being gentle at removal. The soft adhesive holds the dressing in position during normal daily activity without requiring tape, bandage, or other secondary fixation. At removal, the adhesive releases from the skin more gently than some firmer surgical adhesives, which is particularly relevant for patients who are sensitive to tape removal, older adults with fragile skin, and children.

Preparation

• Wash hands and use gloves.
• Clean the wound and surrounding skin. Pat completely dry before application.
• The adhesive border requires dry intact skin.

Application

• Select the appropriate size: 10cm x 11cm or 11cm x 15cm.
• Remove the release liner.
• Position the central pad over the wound.
• Press the adhesive border firmly onto the surrounding skin.
• No secondary fixation is required.

Removal and Change

• Change when the pad is saturated, the border has lifted, or when clinically indicated.
• Peel one corner of the border and peel slowly back along the skin surface.
• If the wound contact pad feels adherent, dampen with water or sterile saline before lifting.
• Do not peel upward at a sharp angle, particularly on fragile skin.
• Assess the wound at each change.

Mepore can be worn during light activity and daily routines. For contact with water, protect the dressing or replace it after washing if the border has lifted. Change daily for routine wound care or as directed by the clinical team for post-operative or more complex wound management.

Mepore 10cm x 11cm

A medium island dressing where the total dimensions including the adhesive border are 10cm x 11cm. Suited to moderate-sized wounds, minor surgical incisions, and wound sites where this pad coverage provides adequate wound contact with a secure adhesive border on all sides.

Mepore 11cm x 15cm

A larger island dressing where the total dimensions are 11cm x 15cm. The larger central pad provides broader wound coverage for wounds that exceed the 10cm x 11cm pad area. Suited to post-operative wound cover for longer incisions, larger wound surfaces in the healing phase, and other sites where greater pad coverage is needed.

In both sizes, the wound should sit entirely within the central pad area, with the adhesive border resting on intact periwound skin on all sides.

When Not to Use Mepore

• Wet, greasy, excoriated, or fragile periwound skin where the adhesive border will not hold effectively.
• Infected wounds.
• Wounds where adhesive contact with the surrounding skin is contraindicated.

Precautions

• Apply to dry intact skin only.
• Do not apply creams, lotions, or sprays to the adhesive area before application.
• Dampen with water or saline before removal if the wound contact pad feels adherent.
• Peel the border slowly along the skin surface, not at a sharp upward angle, on sensitive or elderly skin.
• Not waterproof. Avoid prolonged water contact.
• Single use only.

Adverse Effects

• Adhesive skin reaction or contact dermatitis at the border in sensitive individuals.
• Skin stripping if the border is removed forcefully from fragile skin.
• Wound pad adherence if the dressing is left in place beyond the normal change interval on a dry wound.

Suitable Uses for Mepore

• Minor wounds, cuts, abrasions, and lacerations where an adhesive island dressing is appropriate, and the periwound skin is intact and dry
• Post-operative wound cover where the clinical team confirms that home management with an adhesive island dressing is suitable
• Suture and clip removal site support during continued healing
• Wound cover during recovery from minor procedures where daily dressing changes are needed
• Adults and children, with care on fragile or elderly skin at the adhesive border

Mepore vs Melolin Adhesive Dressing

Both Mepore (Molnlycke Health Care) and Melolin Adhesive Dressing (Smith & Nephew, also known as Melolite) are self-adhesive absorbent island dressings used for similar wound management situations. The key material difference is the backing. Mepore uses a soft breathable fabric backing. Melolin Adhesive Dressing uses the perforated polyester film wound contact technology of the Melolin range. Both hold themselves in place with an adhesive border and both have absorbent central pads. Clinical selection between them is typically based on formulary availability, clinician preference, or patient skin tolerance of the adhesive.

Mepore does not require a prescription. Both sizes are available from Pharmacy Planet without a clinical consultation.

Our pharmacists can advise on which size suits the wound being managed and on when a different dressing format would be more appropriate.

For infected wounds, wounds not healing as expected, or wounds in patients with fragile or sensitive skin where adhesive borders are problematic, seek clinical assessment.

• Store in a cool, dry place away from direct heat and sunlight.
• Do not store above 25 degrees C.
• Keep in original sealed sterile packaging until immediately before use.
• Do not use if packaging is damaged or the sterile seal is broken.
• Check expiry date before use.
• Apply as soon as the packaging is opened.
• Keep out of reach of children.

Pharmacy Planet is a GPhC registered online pharmacy. Both Mepore sizes are genuine Molnlycke Health Care products stocked through regulated UK supply chains.

Our pharmacists can advise on Mepore and on other absorbent island dressing options for different wound types and patient needs.

References

1. Molnlycke Health Care. Mepore — Product Information. Molnlycke Health Care. https://www.molnlycke.com. Accessed June 2026.
2. NHS. How to treat minor cuts and grazes at home. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/cuts-and-grazes. Accessed June 2026.
3. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Wound care products: selection and prescribing. https://www.nice.org.uk. Accessed June 2026.