Burn care 101: how to treat a minor burn at home

If you’ve ever tried the mythical methods of placing cut potato, butter or icing a minor burn to help it heal, we’re sorry to tell you that you did it all wrong. None of these methods are recommended, and can actually exacerbate the injury caused by a burn.

But, thankfully, there is a proper way to treat burns at home. So, using the proper method and necessities like ActivHeal wound care, you can greatly reduce the severity of your burn.

But first you have to understand how severe it is…

1. Table of Contents

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   First degree burns

 First degree burns are those that only affect the epidermis, or the skin’s surface, and typically result in mild pain and redness. These are the kinds of burns caused by overexposure to the sun, and don’t normally require extra medical attention.

Instead, try the nofollowing:

1. Rinse the burnt area under cold water for around 10 minutes or until it stops hurting so much.
2. Apply a moisturising gel or lotion if necessary and take an over-the-counter pain reliever for a few days.
3. If the pain continues then you might want to consult a doctor.

4. Second degree burn

 Second degree burns penetrate to the dermis, the second layer of skin. They are usually bright red and have a blistered, moist appearance. These are usually caused by scolding with extremely hot liquid like water or oil. These burns often require a skin graft to properly treat the affected area.

Skin blistering is common with second degree burns and can quickly become infected – this is why it’s important to consult a doctor when one occurs.

3.Third degree burns

 These nasty burns affect all of the skin’s layers and are leathery or dry to touch. They can appear charred black or brown and ashen. These burns can potentially damage nerve endings, resulting in a loss of sensation in the affected area. Causes can include chemical burns, touching a motorcycle muffler or touching hot surfaces, among others.

These burns can cause serious, life-altering injuries, including disfigurement, loss of limb function, recurring infection and more. Severe burns can damage tissue and muscles that affect all of the body’s systems and can even result in death.

Third degree burns require urgent medical attention.

Treating minor burns at home

 There are some ways you can treat minor burns at home, including:

Do:

• Run cool (not icy) water over the burn for around 10 minutes for a burn that is smaller than your hand.
• You should always seek medical attention for a burn that is larger than your hand.
• Seek medical attention if the burn affects your eyes, face, feet or genitalia.
• You should seek urgent medical attention if your clothes catch fire, you fall into a fire pit or your phone or e-cigarette explodes near you.
• Remove clothing located near the burn, as well as jewellery. But do not try to peel away any clothing from a burn.

Dont:

• Soak or touch any serious burns. Cover the burn with something dry and get to a burn clinic or hospital.
• Do not try to pop burn blisters. If they happen to burst, simply peel away the dead skin so that germs can’t live there and cause infection.

Acting quickly changes everything

Knowing how to deal with a burn is important, especially when you consider the different severities of burns. Regardless, it’s important to act quickly regardless of the burn’s intensity. Act quick, know the severity of the burn and treat it accordingly – it could be the difference between a smooth recovery or not!