A typical at-home diabetic wound care routine is: wash your hands, remove the old dressing, clean the wound, inspect it, apply a thin layer of hydrogel, cover it, offload pressure and log what you see, all on the schedule your provider sets. Managing a diabetic wound at home can feel intimidating at first, but it follows a consistent, learnable process.
What should you know before you start?
Diabetic wounds should always be managed with a healthcare provider involved, whether a podiatrist, wound care specialist or primary care provider. This guide reflects general principles; your provider's instructions for your wound come first. To understand why these wounds need extra care, read diabetic foot ulcer care: what to know.
How do you care for a diabetic wound at home, step by step?
Most routines follow the same ten steps:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before touching the wound or any supplies.
- Gather your supplies first, including an appropriate wound cleanser, hydrogel, dressings and tape, so you're not searching mid-change.
- Remove the old dressing gently. If it's stuck, moisten it first rather than pulling it off dry.
- Clean the wound with an appropriate wound cleanser as directed, avoiding harsh soaps or scrubbing.
- Inspect the wound for size, depth, color and drainage, and note any changes since the last check.
- Apply a thin, even layer of an appropriate hydrogel to help maintain moisture balance and a clean wound surface.
- Cover with a sterile dressing sized appropriately for the wound.
- Offload pressure from the area as directed, since this is one of the most important factors in diabetic wound care (see how to keep a foot ulcer from getting worse).
- Log what you see at each change (size, drainage, any odor) so you and your provider can track progress.
- Repeat on the schedule your provider recommends, often once or twice daily.
What daily habits support diabetic wound care?
Steady blood sugar, consistent offloading and kept appointments support everything you do at the dressing change.
- Keep blood sugar as well-managed as possible, since it directly affects healing capacity.
- Stay consistent with offloading devices or footwear, even when it's inconvenient.
- Don't skip scheduled provider visits, even if the wound looks like it's improving.
- Keep a simple photo log to track changes week to week.
If you're traveling, see diabetic wound care while traveling.
When should you contact your provider right away?
Call your provider promptly if the wound or the skin around it is getting worse, or you feel unwell:
- Increasing redness, warmth or swelling
- New or worsening drainage or odor
- Fever or feeling unwell
- Darkening skin around the wound
- A wound that isn't improving after a couple of weeks of consistent care
Our guide to signs of infection in a diabetic wound explains which signs need same-day care.
How Lavior's Diabetic Wound Hydrogel fits in
Lavior™ Diabetic Wound Hydrogel helps maintain a moist wound environment when used for the indications described on its label. Follow the product instructions and your healthcare professional's wound care plan. Like every Lavior formula, it's built around Inula AGS-RIED, Lavior's proprietary extract of the Mediterranean plant Inula viscosa.
Sources
- Schaper NC, et al. Practical guidelines on the prevention and management of diabetes-related foot disease (IWGDF 2023 update). Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2024;40(3):e3657. doi:10.1002/dmrr.3657
- American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee. 12. Retinopathy, neuropathy, and foot care: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2025. Diabetes Care. 2025;48(Suppl 1):S252–S265. doi:10.2337/dc25-S012
- Winter GD. Formation of the scab and the rate of epithelization of superficial wounds in the skin of the young domestic pig. Nature. 1962;193:293–294. doi:10.1038/193293a0
