Monitoring tool · 11 of 11
Wound comparison
Day 5 post-op
Load two wound photos to compare healing progress over time, side by side, blended, or with a reveal slider. All photos stay on your device. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
This tool cannot diagnose wound complications
Photo comparison shows visual change: it cannot assess infection, dehiscence, or other complications. If you are concerned about your wound at any stage, contact your surgical team immediately. Do not use this tool to decide whether to seek help. Source: PMID 32809368: wound infection diagnosis (Br J Surg 2020)
Private: photos never leave your device
This tool runs entirely in your browser. No photos are uploaded, stored, or transmitted. When you close the page, all photos are discarded from memory.
Photo comparison has important limitations
Different lighting, distance, or angle between photos will make wounds appear different even when healing is unchanged. Always take photos in the same conditions (same lighting, same distance, same angle) for meaningful comparison. Source: healthdirect wound monitoring guidance
Label your photos
Load photos
Photos stay on your device: nothing is uploaded · Tap a zone or drag a photo onto it
Earlier photo
Tap to add earlier photo
or drag and drop here
Later photo
Tap to add later photo
or drag and drop here
⬆
Add both photos above to begin comparing. Your photos stay on this device: nothing is uploaded.
Take consistent photos for accurate comparison
Same lighting
Natural daylight is best. Same room, same time of day. Avoid flash if possible.
Same distance
Hold the phone the same distance from the wound each time. Include a reference object if helpful.
Same angle
Photograph from directly above or directly to the side: be consistent between sessions.
What the photos might reveal: and what to do
✓ Signs of normal healing
- Redness reducing over time
- Swelling and bruising fading
- Wound edges coming together
- Scab forming or scar lightening
- Discharge reducing or stopping
- Wound appears smaller and drier
⚠ Contact your team if you see
- Redness spreading outward
- Wound edges separating or opening
- Increased or new discharge
- Colour change to yellow, green, or grey
- Rapid increase in swelling
- Wound looking significantly worse
Photo changes are one signal: not the only one
If the wound looks the same in photos but you have increasing pain, a fever, or feel unwell; these are also red flags that require assessment, regardless of what photos show. Source: PMID 32809368
🚨 Go to ED or call emergency services if
- Heavy bleeding that will not stop with 10 minutes of firm pressure
- Wound fully opening or large areas of separation
- Temperature 38°C or above with wound changes
- Redness spreading rapidly beyond the wound (cellulitis)
- Signs of systemic illness: confusion, rapid heart rate, feeling seriously unwell
- Chest pain or breathing difficulty (possible pulmonary embolism)
Emergency: 000 (AU) · 999 (UK) · 911 (US)
Source: PMID 32809368: wound infection diagnosis (Br J Surg 2020) · healthdirect: when to go to ED
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. Lighting, angle, and distance between photos can make a wound look very different even when healing normally. Before concluding anything from the comparison, check whether both photos were taken in the same lighting and from the same distance. If the difference looks genuine (more redness, more swelling, discharge) contact your surgical team. Source: healthdirect wound monitoring
Daily photos in the first 1–2 weeks are useful if you are monitoring a wound closely. After that, every 3–5 days is usually sufficient. Always photograph before cleaning or redressing the wound, in consistent lighting. Source: NHS wound care guidance
This comparison tool is designed for post-surgical wound monitoring in the community: standard sutured wounds, skin excision wounds, and scar tracking. It is not suitable for complex wounds managed by specialists (e.g., large secondary intention wounds, stoma sites, wounds with VAC dressings), which require in-person nursing assessment. Source: healthdirect wound care
Yes: this is one of the most useful applications. GPs and surgeons often see wounds weeks after the acute phase. Being able to compare current appearance with how the wound looked on day 3 or day 7 can help them assess whether healing is progressing appropriately or whether a complication occurred. Screenshot the comparison to show at your appointment.
Contact your surgical team. A wound can look unchanged while an infection is developing beneath the surface. Fever, increasing pain, chills, or generally feeling unwell are systemic signs that require assessment regardless of what the wound surface looks like. Source: PMID 32809368: wound infection diagnostic criteria