I usually buy traditional plasters, although as a nurse I am aware of spray coverings to wounds although I had never seen these outside of the clinical environment. I was intrigued as to how the Elastoplast Spray Plaster actually worked and so I purchased it really only for this purpose! The spray plaster comes in a stray can that contains 32mls of the spray plaster solution and this costs £6.65 from Boots. If you compare this to the price of normal plasters then it is really quite expensive and I felt it would have to be pretty good to actually be economically viable to choose this over traditional plasters. Apparently there is enough applications in this can to last for 40 applications, but obviously this is dependent on the area that you are spraying and I would have to say that this is quite a generous overestimation of the number of applications that this can would deliver.

The idea is that this spray is sprayed onto an area that you would traditionally use a plaster on. Obviously it is intended for minor injuries and anything more major that requires skin closure techniques requires medical treatment, but in terms of just covering and protecting a minor wound then this is the what the product is for. Spraying the spray on is simple and it is delivered by a typical aerosol style nozzle that you direct onto the area where you want it by holding it about 10cm away from the wound. It is delivered in a fine mist, although if you get too close to the wound then it actually is wetter and it can drip and so it's important to have it a little way away from the area. When it is first put on, it is cold and so can feel like a little short, sharp shock to the system, but it doesn't sting or hurt and so it's even okay for young children. Once it is on, it is possible to see that it's slightly shiny and plasticky looking - but it's fairly subtle and it is certainly less unsightly than an Elastoplast plaster. Over time, the plastic coating dissolved, and if you were in the bath or swimming for a prolonged period of time then it dissolved quicker, but generally it would last for a few days.

One of the negative points of this plaster is that the area needs to have stopped bleeding before the spray is applied, otherwise you just end up with a bit of a mess. The other point, particularly if this is being used on children, is that often children are "better" and less upset once the plaster has been applied and they can't see the cut or graze anymore. With this product the plaster seal is transparent and so the child can continually see the wound and so seems to remain more upset for longer. Having said that, a major advantage is that it seals the whole area while remaining breathable - whereas often plasters do not provide an all round seal and allow the wound area to breath. There is also no pain in removing the plaster and so there is no ripping the plaster from the skin and holding your breath as you do so!

I don't think I'm a convert really with this product. Maybe if it comes down in price then I might consider buying it again in the past, but I just don't think it's worth the extra pennies as it really does the same job.