Postoperative wound care is an ancient art with recorded evidence dating back at least 4000 years. Ancient documents reveal how wounds were initially bandaged to reapproximate them and aid in healing. Lint was used to pack and to fill open wounds. Grease or oil was used to decrease sticking of bandages to wounds because it did not spoil. Later, insect mandibles were used as clips to close disrupted tissue. Bodies preserved from as early as 2000 B.C. have revealed sutures used to close the wounds created during embalming. Infection was an invisible and insidious mystery that often complicated wound healing. Without understanding how they worked, ancient surgeons empirically employed various agents, such as honey, vinegar, wine, and metallic salts, to prevent infections and to aid in wound healing. Only in the late 1800s with the work of Pasteur, Koch, and Lister on the bacterial cause of infection did the systematic search for specific chemical therapies for wound management begin in earnest.<sup>13 Caldwell M.D. Topical wound therapy—an historical perspective J Trauma 1990 ;  30 : S116-S122

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Wound care is an important but still often misunderstood aspect of dermatologic surgery. Past practices, not supported by more recent research, were based on traditional methods inherited from our predecessors. This recent interest and research in wound healing have significantly advanced our understanding of the micromolecular processes involved, and produced an almost bewildering explosion of dressings and topical agents at our disposal. This article will review these newer dressings, topical agents, and methods of wound care as well as their specific roles in wound healing.