How to Treat Minor Burns

Knowing how to treat minor burns quickly will help you heal and stay safe. Larger burns usually require medical attention; As for minor burns, learning how to properly care for and heal them is not difficult. You should learn about quick treatment, proper care after treatment, and home remedies you can use.

Table of Contents

Quick treatment (simple method)

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Place the burn under cold running water. If you have just been burned, place the burn under cold running water. Cold water will quickly cool the burned skin and reduce the size of the burn. However, do not use soap to wash, but just leave the burn under running water. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Do not wash if the burn is more severe. If your skin is scorched or smells bad and smells like ash, do not wash with water, but call 911 immediately.
Do not immerse the burn in water. Gently wash the burn and pat the skin dry with a clean towel.

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Cool the burn for 5-10 minutes. After cooling your skin with water, you can apply a clean cold compress to the burn to reduce swelling. This step helps ease the pain and reduce swelling and blisters that can form from minor burns.

Some people prefer to use crushed ice cubes, bags of frozen vegetables, or other frozen items in place of cold compresses. If you choose this method, do not place cold objects directly on the burn for more than 5-10 minutes. Burns can cause numbness and loss of your ability to feel heat, meaning you’re at risk of frostbite. Use only a little ice because you won’t be able to feel it when it’s too cold.

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Observe the burn after a few minutes. Even if you think the burn is relatively mild, you should still monitor it to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Sometimes, a severe burn can become numb, causing pain to follow. Learn the difference between burns to plan care: ^{[2] X Resources} Learn the difference between burns to plan for care:

First-degree burns affect only the top layer of skin, and are identified by redness, small bumps, and pain. First-degree burns usually do not require medical attention. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
Second-degree burns also affect only the outer layer of skin but are more severe, characterized by red and white patches of skin, blisters, swelling, and more significant pain.
Third degree burns affect the underlying skin and subcutaneous fat. Some severe third-degree burns even affect muscles and bones. The telltale signs are blackened skin or white scorched skin, which may be accompanied by signs of difficulty breathing, severe pain and smoke inhalation.

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Continue cold compresses if the pain persists. Apply cold towels or other cold compresses to the burn to relieve pain. The cold temperature helps reduce pain and swelling at the burn site. Burns that form blisters are more painful in the long run, so you need to prevent the burn from swelling up if possible.

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Raise the burn above the heart. Sometimes, even a small burn will sting and be quite painful for the first few hours. If the burn is painful, you can raise the burn above your heart to ease the pain (if possible).

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Seek medical attention for serious burns. All 3rd degree burns require medical attention as soon as possible. Second-degree burns that are larger than 7.5 cm and appear on the hands, feet, face, genitals, or in the major joints and sensitive areas should also be examined by a doctor.

Care for minor burns

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Gently wash the burn with soap and water. Once the swelling is under control, you can wash the burn with some mild soap and water. Dry and keep the burn site clean to prevent infection.

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Apply over-the-counter creams if needed. To reduce swelling and keep the burn as clean as possible, use a store-bought ointment or cream. Aloe vera gel or cream and low-dose hydrocortisone are often used.

If blisters appear, you should apply an antibiotic cream topically and cover the blister with a bandage for about 10 hours before removing the bandage.
Mild, fragrance-free moisturizers are also sometimes used for minor burns. This product will prevent the burned skin from cracking. Let the burn heal a bit before applying moisturizer.

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Allow the burn to air out. Burns that are too light do not need to be covered to heal. Instead, you just need to keep it clean and dry; The burn will heal in a few days.

Use gauze to cover the burn with blisters. If it hurts, you can use a loose gauze or bandage to cover and keep the burn safe.

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Do not touch minor burns. Absolutely do not squeeze when blisters form. The blisters protect the burn and heal the skin underneath. The blisters will collapse in a few days if you keep the burned skin clean and dry.

Large blisters should be examined by a doctor and extracted or removed if necessary. Never extract or remove blisters yourself.

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Wear loose clothing around the burn. To avoid irritation, you need to keep the burned area well ventilated and dry. Wear loose-fitting cotton clothing to help the skin breathe and allow air to come into contact with the burn.

If the burn is on a finger or hand, you should remove rings, bracelets, watches near or above the burn and wear short-sleeved shirts. Avoid irritating the burn if possible.

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Take over-the-counter pain relievers if needed. If the burn is painful, you can take a pain reliever such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. Medicines can help reduce swelling and control pain. Take over-the-counter pain relievers as directed.

Use ingredients at home

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Treat burns with gel containing aloe . Gels and moisturizers containing aloe are very helpful in soothing and cooling the burn. You can use natural oils from the aloe plant or buy aloe vera cream from the store.

Some moisturizers and lotions marketed as “aloe vera” actually contain only small amounts of aloe. Therefore, you need to read the ingredients carefully to make sure you do not apply lotions with fragrances and aluminum on the burn.

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Apply coconut oil and lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil is said to have therapeutic properties for minor cuts, abrasions and minor burns affecting the outer layer of skin. However, essential oils can irritate the skin, so you need to mix with a soothing oil like coconut oil (which also has antibacterial properties). ^{[4] X Research Sources}

The theory is that a French scientist pioneered the use of lavender essential oil as a home remedy when he made himself in the laboratory. He dipped his hand in a jar of lavender essential oil and the burn was quickly healed. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

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Dab vinegar on the burn. Some people claim that a small amount of diluted vinegar can help control pain and heal minor burns quickly. If you have a burn, you should wash the burn quickly with cool water, then use a wet towel to dab a few drops of vinegar on the burn. Use a towel similar to a cold compress for the burned skin. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Use sliced potatoes. In rural areas, sliced potatoes are sometimes used instead of dressings, especially for burns. ^{[7] X Research Source} Potato skin has antibacterial properties and does not stick to the wound, so it does not cause pain.

If you try this method, make sure to clean the wound before and after using the potato. In addition, it is necessary to wash the potato before applying it to the burn. Do not leave potato residue on the burn. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Use only home remedies for minor burns. If cool water, over-the-counter medications, and time don’t heal the burn, you need to seek medical attention. Never use unproven home remedies for serious burns.

Fat wax or Vaseline is often said to have soothing properties for burns, but this is not true. Vaseline is a moisture barrier and can cause burns to dry out. Vaseline has no real healing properties. Vaseline is not recommended to be applied to burns.
Some people claim that toothpaste, butter, and other kitchen ingredients can be applied to the burn. However, there is no scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of these ingredients. Never apply toothpaste on the burn. ^{[9] X Research Source}

Advice

As an alternative, you should apply a cold, damp washcloth to the burn. Continue wetting as the towel warms or dries. Apply a towel over the burn until the pain subsides.

Steps

Quick treatment (simple method)

Care for minor burns

Use ingredients at home

Advice

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