Chitosan-based hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for wound dressings due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and ability to provide a moist environment for wound healing. This review summarizes recent advances in chitosan-based hydrogels for skin wound dressings, highlighting their chemical modifications, desired properties, and applications in various wound types, including burns, surgical wounds, infected wounds, and diabetic wounds. The review also discusses the potential of chitosan-based hydrogels in future wound care applications. Chitosan, a natural cationic polysaccharide, has excellent properties such as antibacterial activity, hemostasis, and biocompatibility. However, its inherent limitations, such as poor water solubility and mechanical properties, have led to various chemical modifications to enhance its functionality. These modifications include quaternary ammonium modification, acylation, alkylation, carboxymethylation, phosphorylation, and graft copolymerization, which improve the solubility, hydrophilicity, antibacterial activity, and other physicochemical properties of chitosan. Chitosan-based hydrogels have been developed with various functional properties, such as antibacterial activity, hemostasis, conductivity, self-healing ability, and antioxidant properties. These hydrogels can be used for wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. For example, quaternary ammonium chitosan-based hydrogels have enhanced antibacterial properties, while alkylated chitosan-based hydrogels have improved hemostatic effects. Carboxymethylated chitosan hydrogels have good water solubility, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. Phosphorylated chitosan hydrogels have hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and angiogenic properties. Active compound-loaded chitosan-based hydrogels can deliver drugs and growth factors for targeted wound healing. The review also discusses the applications of chitosan-based hydrogels in wound healing, including their ability to promote cell proliferation, accelerate angiogenesis, and enhance wound closure. The self-healing ability of chitosan-based hydrogels is attributed to their dynamic network structures, which allow them to recombine and reconnect after damage. Additionally, chitosan-based hydrogels have antioxidant properties that can neutralize reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress, which is crucial for wound healing. Overall, chitosan-based hydrogels offer a promising solution for wound dressings due to their unique properties and potential for further modification and application in various medical fields.Chitosan-based hydrogels have emerged as promising materials for wound dressings due to their biocompatibility, biodegradability, non-toxicity, and ability to provide a moist environment for wound healing. This review summarizes recent advances in chitosan-based hydrogels for skin wound dressings, highlighting their chemical modifications, desired properties, and applications in various wound types, including burns, surgical wounds, infected wounds, and diabetic wounds. The review also discusses the potential of chitosan-based hydrogels in future wound care applications. Chitosan, a natural cationic polysaccharide, has excellent properties such as antibacterial activity, hemostasis, and biocompatibility. However, its inherent limitations, such as poor water solubility and mechanical properties, have led to various chemical modifications to enhance its functionality. These modifications include quaternary ammonium modification, acylation, alkylation, carboxymethylation, phosphorylation, and graft copolymerization, which improve the solubility, hydrophilicity, antibacterial activity, and other physicochemical properties of chitosan. Chitosan-based hydrogels have been developed with various functional properties, such as antibacterial activity, hemostasis, conductivity, self-healing ability, and antioxidant properties. These hydrogels can be used for wound healing, drug delivery, and tissue engineering. For example, quaternary ammonium chitosan-based hydrogels have enhanced antibacterial properties, while alkylated chitosan-based hydrogels have improved hemostatic effects. Carboxymethylated chitosan hydrogels have good water solubility, cytocompatibility, and antibacterial activity. Phosphorylated chitosan hydrogels have hemostatic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and angiogenic properties. Active compound-loaded chitosan-based hydrogels can deliver drugs and growth factors for targeted wound healing. The review also discusses the applications of chitosan-based hydrogels in wound healing, including their ability to promote cell proliferation, accelerate angiogenesis, and enhance wound closure. The self-healing ability of chitosan-based hydrogels is attributed to their dynamic network structures, which allow them to recombine and reconnect after damage. Additionally, chitosan-based hydrogels have antioxidant properties that can neutralize reactive oxygen species and reduce oxidative stress, which is crucial for wound healing. Overall, chitosan-based hydrogels offer a promising solution for wound dressings due to their unique properties and potential for further modification and application in various medical fields.