The wound care and compression learning center
Clinical primers and plain-language explainers written by the Ovena Clinical Team and reviewed by Dr. David Chahine, MD — clear answers for caregivers, patients, and clinicians without the medical-jargon fog.
Start here: the clinical primers
The three longer-form guides that cover the fundamentals. Read these first if you're new to collagen wound care, medical compression, or hydrocolloid dressings.
Collagen wound dressings, the clinical guide
What collagen dressings are, how they bind MMPs to restart healing, when to use them for diabetic foot ulcers, pressure injuries, and surgical wounds, plus the 6-step application protocol.
Read guide →Medical compression therapy, the clinical guide
Graduated compression explained, mmHg classes, sizing at home, DVT prevention on long flights (Cochrane data), and how to keep compression garments effective past 6 months.
Read guide →Hydrocolloid dressings, the cut-to-size guide
How occlusive moist-healing dressings work, cut-to-size roll vs pre-cut patches, when to use them (and when not to), the application steps, and common uses from blisters to minor surgical sites.
Read guide →By the question you came here to answer
Specific clinical questions caregivers, patients, and clinicians ask us most often, each answered in plain language with citations.
How to apply a collagen wound dressing, the 6-step protocol
The exact steps a wound care nurse uses, plus the 4 mistakes that ruin a perfectly good dressing. With a size-selection guide and troubleshooting.
Read guide →Collagen vs hydrocolloid: which dressing for which wound?
Two common modern dressings, two completely different mechanisms. The decision tree wound clinicians actually use.
Read guide →What are matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)?
The biochemistry of why chronic wounds get stuck, and why collagen, silver, and oxidized-cellulose dressings all target the same enzyme problem.
Read guide →How often should you change a collagen dressing?
The 1–3 day standard, when to change more often, when to change less often, and the signs you have the cadence wrong.
Read guide →By condition: clinical pillar guides
Comprehensive guides for the specific clinical situations we get the most questions about. Each is the answer your wound nurse would give if you had unlimited time with them.
Collagen wound dressing for diabetic foot ulcer
Why DFUs stay stuck and how collagen addresses the specific biochemistry. The home care protocol plus the offloading + glycemic control that makes it actually heal.
Read guide →Best compression socks for nurses (2026 clinical guide)
What 20-30 mmHg actually means, how to wear them through a 12-hour shift, and the laundering routine that doubles their lifespan.
Read guide →Best compression socks for flying, Cochrane-backed guide
Why graduated compression cuts asymptomatic DVT risk by ~90% on long flights. What mmHg, when to put them on, who has elevated risk.
Read guide →Pressure ulcer dressing selection by stage (1–4)
The dressing your wound nurse would pick for each pressure injury stage, plus the offloading rules that matter at least as much as the dressing itself.
Read guide →Post-surgical compression socks, recovery guide
When to wear compression after hip/knee replacement, abdominal, or pelvic surgery. The mmHg, the duration, and the donning trick when you can't bend over.
Read guide →Hydrocolloid wound care resources
Everything you need to know about cut-to-size hydrocolloid — from application to comparisons with popular alternatives.
How to use a hydrocolloid roll, cut-to-size basics
The cut, apply, and change routine in plain steps. How to size the patch for a blister vs a wound vs a post-Mohs site.
Read guide →Mighty Patch vs cut-to-size hydrocolloid roll
Why the pre-cut acne patch costs 10× more per square inch than a roll — and what you actually get for the premium.
Read guide →DuoDERM alternative: the cut-to-size hydrocolloid roll
How Ovena's roll compares on cost-per-use, absorbency, and wear time vs. the DuoDERM CGF and Signal lines.
Read guide →Hydrocolloid for blisters & friction wounds
Why moist occlusive coverage heals blisters faster with less scarring than air-drying — and how to keep the patch on for 3+ days.
Read guide →Hydrocolloid for surface acne
How a cut-to-size roll patch works on pimples and what the dermatology evidence actually says vs. the TikTok version.
Read guide →When NOT to use hydrocolloid
The wound types where hydrocolloid makes things worse — infected wounds, heavily exudating ulcers, and third-degree burns — and what to use instead.
Read guide →How Ovena compares to leading brands
Honest side-by-side comparisons on clinical criteria, not marketing claims.
Ovena vs Medline Puracol collagen dressing
Collagen concentration, MMP-binding data, cost-per-change, and which clinical settings each is better suited for.
Read guide →Ovena vs Jobst compression socks
mmHg accuracy, sizing range, fabric durability after 50+ washes, and total cost over a 6-month wear cycle.
Read guide →Ovena vs Sigvaris compression socks
Where the price difference goes, which mmHg classes each covers, and when the premium tier is clinically justified.
Read guide →Copper Fit vs medical-grade compression
Why "copper-infused" compression socks are not medical compression — and why it matters if you have CVI, lymphedema, or post-surgical edema.
Read guide →FSA, HSA, and insurance reimbursement
Plain-language guides to getting your wound care and compression covered — written for patients, caregivers, and billing staff.
FSA & HSA eligibility for collagen and compression
Which Ovena products are FSA/HSA eligible, what documentation you need, and how to submit for reimbursement step by step.
Read guide →Reimbursement & HCPCS codes for wound dressings
The exact HCPCS codes for Ovena collagen (A6021, A6022, A6024), compression (A6531, A6532), and how to bill them correctly with Medicare and commercial payers.
Read guide →Coming next
Our weekly publishing cadence. Bookmark this page or subscribe below to get each new guide in your inbox.
Are compression socks safe during pregnancy?
Cochrane data, OB recommendations, and when in pregnancy to start. Plus how to size when your calves change weekly.
How to size compression socks at home
A printable tape-measure guide plus the 3 common sizing mistakes that make a $35 sock feel useless.
How to put on tight compression socks (without breaking them)
The three techniques nurses use plus when a sock aid is worth the $25.
Get new guides in your inbox
New clinical explainer every week, reviewed by Dr. Chahine. No marketing noise — just wound care education you can actually use.
No spam. Unsubscribe any time.