The answer comes down, above all, to one thing.
If you have had a venous leg ulcer, you are at risk of developing another one. The most important thing you can do to prevent an ulcer is to keep using your therapeutic compression stocking, bandage or device — for example, a wrap.
The key word is continue. Compression here is not a treatment that finishes when the wound closes; it is what keeps the wound closed. People most often stop because the ulcer healed, which is exactly the point at which you need to carry on.
Good skin care is also important, and the timing can be misleading: your wound is closed on the outside, but it may take months before the inside is completely healed. Keep your skin hydrated so it stays moist and smooth, and follow any preventive instructions you have been given, such as special stockings.
At the first sign of trouble — if you notice any break in your skin — contact your healthcare professional. That is a lower threshold than waiting for an open wound to establish itself.
Footwear is the most common reason people give up on compression. Your healthcare professional can advise you about the variety of materials that can be used so you can wear your own shoes. A venous leg ulcer needs bandages to heal, but stockings can be used afterward that let you wear your own shoes.
For day-to-day care, keep the dressing and the skin around it dry. Don’t let healthy tissue around a wound get too wet, because this can soften it and cause the wound to get bigger.