A wound that heals and then comes back is a different situation from one that never heals, and the advice for it is different too.
Venous leg ulcers commonly occur around the ankle. 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. Good skin care is also important.
The key word there is keep. Compression is not a treatment that ends when the ulcer closes. It is what keeps the ulcer from coming back.
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 set in.
A wound that is closed on the outside is not done healing underneath. It may take months before the inside is completely healed. Keep your skin hydrated so it stays moist and smooth, and follow any prevention instructions you have been given, such as special stockings.
Day-to-day care for venous ulcers follows the same idea: always keep the wound clean and bandaged to prevent infection, and keep the dressing and the skin around it dry.
Whether an ankle wound is a venous ulcer is a question for the person treating it. They look at where the ulcer is, how it looks, your symptoms, your medical history and medicines, and the skin around it. They use blood-flow tests such as an ankle or toe pressure test, and often an ultrasound to check the veins and arteries. Finding the cause matters because treatment depends on it. Compression helps many venous ulcers but is not suitable in the same way for severe arterial disease.