Background: Considerable thought has been given to the development of dressings and adhesives for use on chronic wounds. Dressings and adhesives used on acute (surgical/traumatic) wounds, however, have not had the same level of scrutiny regarding the skin damage that may be incurred on removal, particularly as the dressings are often removed after short application periods. Aims: To compare the skin adhesive properties of three dressings used for acute wounds in terms of their peel adhesion, pain on removal and their effect on skin post removal.