Twenty minutes of cool running water, and the household remedies that make things worse.
The first minutes after a burn decide how deep it finally becomes. Correct first aid is simple, free and proven; most of the damage done in Indian kitchens and workshops after a burn comes from well meant remedies that make things worse.
Hold the burned area under cool running water for about twenty minutes, starting as soon as possible after the injury. Tap water at ordinary temperature is exactly right. This draws heat out of the tissue, limits the depth of the burn and relieves pain better than anything in the medicine cabinet. Cooling helps even if it is started up to an hour after the burn.
Do not apply toothpaste, ghee, butter, oil, turmeric, ink, or ice. Greasy substances trap heat inside the skin and must be scrubbed off before the wound can be assessed. Ice and iced water damage burned skin further. Nothing needs to be applied for a burn to heal; the water has already done the useful work.
Remove rings, bangles, watches and tight clothing near the burn before swelling begins, cutting clothing away rather than pulling it over burned skin. If fabric is stuck to the burn, leave it and let the hospital deal with it. Cover the cooled burn loosely with a clean cloth or cling film laid on, not wrapped tightly. Intact blisters should be left unburst; they are a natural dressing.
Any burn on the face, hands, feet, genitals or across a joint. Any burn in a baby or child. Any burn that is white, leathery or painless, which suggests it is deep. Electrical and chemical burns, always, because the surface often hides the real injury. And any burn larger than the palm of the person who was burned. When in doubt, be seen; a burn assessed early and managed correctly heals faster and scars less.
For chemical burns, brush off any dry powder first, then irrigate with large amounts of running water for at least twenty minutes, and bring the container or name of the chemical to hospital. For electrical burns, make sure the power source is off before touching the person; small skin marks can hide deep muscle injury, so hospital review is essential even when the skin looks trivial.
A superficial burn that is healing well becomes less painful, not more. Increasing pain, spreading redness, cloudy fluid or fever suggest infection and need review. Once healed, protect new skin from the sun for a year; fresh burn scars darken permanently with sun exposure, and a simple cap or sunscreen prevents it.
No. Ice damages burned skin further. Cool running water for about twenty minutes is the correct first aid, as soon after the burn as possible.
No. Intact blisters protect the wound underneath. Cover them loosely and let the treating team decide what needs to be done.
Burns of the face, hands, feet, genitals or across joints, any burn in a child, electrical and chemical burns, and any burn larger than the palm of the person burned.
Cool running tap water for about twenty minutes is the standard first aid, and it helps even if you start a little late. Keep the rest of the person warm while you do it, particularly with children.
No. Toothpaste, ink, oil, butter and similar remedies trap heat, raise the risk of infection and make assessment harder. Clean water is what the burn needs.
A clean non fluffy cloth or cling film laid loosely over the area is enough, without wrapping tightly. Do not burst blisters or scrub the surface.
Children lose fluid and heat quickly, so burns that cover a larger share of their body, or involve the face, hands, feet, joints or genitals, need hospital assessment even when they look small. Scalds from hot liquids are commonly deeper than they first appear.
