Skin adhesives play an important role in keeping wound dressings in place. Unfortunately, if dressings incorporate adhesives that are too aggressive, then their removal may cause trauma to the wound and surrounding skin. This article discusses the terminology that is applied to adhesive technology, and describes the properties of an ‘ideal’ adhesive for wound dressings. Both traditional and advanced adhesive technologies that are currently utilised in the wound care setting are reviewed in detail, and a number of differences between the adhesive systems used in wound dressings are highlighted.