The application of film-dressings to the skin rarely causes dermal irritation. It is important to reduce the damage of the skin when they are removed from the skin. Several methods of removing film-dressings have been recommended. However, only the peel angle has been studied. Therefore, we examined the best method of removing film-dressings by studying the peel rate, peel angle, and the effect of draw, in which the skin was drawn by hand in the opposite direction in order to keep the film-dressing in a stationary position, using two kinds of film-dressings.
With an increase in peel rate, the number of stripped corneocytes significantly increased. The number of stripped corneocytes and the pain at 0 degree peel angle (i.e., removal by stretching the film-dressing parallel to the skin) were slightly less than those at other peel angles. When the skin was drawn by hand in order to keep the film-dressing in a stationary position, the pain decreased slightly. It was most important that film-dressings were removed from the skin as slowly as possible.