No one is immune from thermal and sunburn of the skin. Who among us hasn’t accidentally grabbed a hot frying pan or accidentally knocked over a glass of hot coffee? In the case of serious burns, it is extremely important to be able to provide assistance to the victim at home, before the ambulance arrives. The first minutes play a huge role for the condition, and sometimes even the life, of the person who has received such an injury, and the success of subsequent treatment. Minor household burns can be treated at home. But here, too, knowledge of the correct algorithms of action and proven recipes is necessary. Unfortunately, many people, faced with the problem of a thermal burn, unknowingly take actions that, not only are not able to alleviate or cure the burn, but also cause additional harm.
First aid for burns
1. Break contact with the traumatic surface
2. Cool the affected area
It is strictly forbidden to apply ice to a burn. This will not alleviate the patient’s condition, but can provoke another injury - frostbite.
3. Provide comfort and convenience
- First degree - slight redness and minimal swelling of the skin, the presence of small blisters is acceptable.
- Second degree - severe redness and swelling, swollen or already burst blisters.
- Third degree - necrosis (death) of tissue, characterized by the formation of a scab (dry crust), damage affecting muscle tissue.
- Fourth degree - charring of the damaged area, tendons, muscles and bones are injured.
In the first or second degree, it is possible to treat the patient at home. But at the slightest suspicion of a more severe degree, even if it is a small burn on the hand, an urgent visit to a medical facility and prompt assistance from a traumatologist is necessary.
4. Determine the degree of burn
If first or second degree burns are detected with an area of no more than 1% of the body (the size of the palm), you can begin treatment - apply a special product to the affected area - gel, cream or pharmaceutical anti-burn bandage. If more serious and extensive skin damage is recorded or a burn to the face, genitals, foot or hand is obtained, you need to call an ambulance.
Do not allow the patient to make unnecessary movements - he may be in a state of shock. If you complain of pain, give a painkiller - any analgesic or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: Ibuprofen, Acetylsalicylic acid (Aspirin), Diclofenac, Ketoprofen or Ketonal.
How to cure a burn with pharmaceutical products?
The following remedies will help quickly cure first and second degree burns:
- Ointments and aerosols based on dexpanthenol - heal and restore the epidermis well. Their presence is especially desirable in a home medicine cabinet when there are small children in the family. Panthenol spray, Panthenol cream foam, Bepanten ointment.
- Other wound-healing and anti-inflammatory ointments, solutions, creams and gels - they are usually used after the pain has subsided and the first acute symptoms have eliminated. Solcoseryl, Levomekol, La-Cri, Rescuer, Furaplast, Povidone-iodine, Apollo, Ozhogov.Net, Radevit.
- Antiseptic drugs - reduce the risk of wound infection, which is especially important when in contact with dirty hot objects or boiling water. Furacilin, Chlorhexidine, Miramistin spray, Olazol.
- Anti-burn wipes and bandages are impregnated with a special composition with an antiseptic and anesthetic effect. They are convenient to take with you into the field and use until the ambulance arrives or the victim is delivered to the first aid station.
Essential oils or fat-containing ointments should absolutely not be applied to burns!
To avoid infection, the skin around the burn can be treated with a weak solution of manganese or hydrogen peroxide, and then gently lubricated with iodine or brilliant green.
8 remedies to help cure a burn at home
You can cure a burn from boiling water, a hot surface or hot steam using folk remedies. The main thing is not to treat the affected area with fat, oils, powdered products (soda), alcohol solutions, kefir, eggs or other healing products immediately after injury. Also at this stage, applying leaves of medicinal plants (Kalanchoe, aloe, etc.) to the wound is contraindicated. The use of traditional medicine is justified and effective only after the first symptoms have been relieved, the injured skin has dried out and a doctor has been consulted.
Folk remedies are designed exclusively for first and second degree burns that do not require hospitalization.
The following 8 recipes have gained a reputation as the most effective means to cure a burn:
1. Sea buckthorn or St. John's wort oil
– activates regeneration processes, relieves swelling and accelerates healing, apply a thin layer to the affected area using a pipette or clean hands.
2. Potatoes, carrots or pumpkin
– the peeled vegetable is grated, covered with an even layer of gauze, which is placed on the burned area. The dressing is changed after heating the vegetable mass. This compress relieves pain and swelling well.
3. Fresh cabbage leaves
– cover the affected area and hold until the leaf is heated. Cabbage is also excellent in eliminating swelling, redness and has mild anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Egg yolk oil
– according to reviews from those who have tried this recipe, a burn with boiling water is most effectively treated with this remedy. To prepare the oil, boil 5 - 7 hard-boiled eggs, then peel them and remove the yolks. The yolks must be fried in a frying pan without oil for 15 - 20 minutes, until a clear oily liquid begins to stand out. It is considered healing. The ointment is stored in the refrigerator and applied to the burn several times a day using a gauze sponge.
5. Oak bark ointment
– 3 tablespoons of oak bark are ground into powder and poured into 200 ml of water. The broth is boiled in a water bath until the volume of liquid is reduced by approximately half. The resulting infusion is mixed with a tablespoon of butter. Apply this ointment to the burned area 4 to 5 times a day.
6. Fried onion compress
– Finely chop 2 large onions and fry until golden brown in 200 ml of vegetable oil. The resulting slurry is distributed over gauze and applied to the burned skin.
When treating with compresses, it is not recommended to use cotton wool, only sterile gauze or ready-made gauze bandages. The cotton wool dries on the wound and re-injures the skin when changing the bandage.
7. Beeswax ointment
– 100 grams of beeswax is melted in a water bath with 200 ml of vegetable oil (preferably lean). For better effect, you can add 30 - 50 grams of propolis. The resulting cooled mixture is applied to the burn areas and secured with a gauze bandage.
8. Aloe or Kalanchoe compress
– both plants have high anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Aloe or Kalanchoe is cut with a knife or finely chopped to release the juice, and then only distributed over a gauze bandage and applied to the burn.
Thermal burn is a fairly common injury. To avoid danger to the life of the victim, it is important to be able to provide him with first aid. It is best to coordinate the treatment of burned areas of the body with a traumatologist. And even in the case of simple household burns, you should not abuse those traditional medicines that you or your loved ones have not previously tried.
A facial burn is damage to the skin caused by radiation, electrical or chemical irritants. Facial muscles are the most mobile, their damage is accompanied by severe pain and discomfort during healing. Various cosmetics and procedures can also cause chemical burns to the face and neck.
Signs, types and degrees
Inflammation, red skin, itching, blisters are a clear sign of grade 1-2 damage. If there are no blisters, the burn has the same symptoms as an allergic reaction to cosmetics.
A cosmetic mask based on unknown ingredients may cause chemical damage and may cause your entire face to swell.
According to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10), burns codes from T20 to T32 are divided into four types, each type is determined by four degrees of damage.
- Chemical – damage by chemically active substances. Aggressive reagents have a destructive effect on body tissues, penetrating deeply into them.
- Thermal - occurs when in contact with a medium or object whose temperature exceeds 45 degrees Celsius (at this limit the protein begins to coagulate). The depth of penetration of thermal shock depends on the duration of exposure. A burn during laser hair removal is of this type.
- Radiation is a common injury for sunbathers in the summer, during cosmetic procedures, using ultraviolet radiation and solariums. You can get burned if you handle a quartz lamp carelessly. It is characterized by extensive damage to the upper layers of the skin, severe pain, and a depressed state of the body.
- Electrical – Careless handling of wiring and electrical equipment can result in injury. This happens less often during welding than at home.
After the defeat, a trace remains in the form of a speck around a deep wound, at the point of entry of the electric arc. The area of skin loses sensitivity and will not hurt at first.
- First degree – redness, inflammation, burning, pain.
- Second degree - watery blisters are added to the symptoms of the first degree. The body takes longer to restore the skin. Depending on the size of the burn, a decision is made to go to the hospital. The affected area is the size of a child's palm and requires medical attention.
- Third degree - deep tissues are affected, a scab forms on top of the wound.
- Fourth degree - all layers of skin are damaged, right down to the bones.
First aid for facial burns
Each type has its own characteristics of first aid. By following them, you can reduce the level of damage and speed up the healing process.
Chemical
Due to the differences in chemicals, their effect on the body and reaction to the liquid, the offending element should be removed with caution. It is advisable to use neutralizing agents. For acid - soap solution or salt water, alkali is quenched with slightly diluted vinegar essence or citric acid. The powdered reagent (bodyaga powder) is removed before washing.
After cleaning the affected area, keep the affected area under running cold water for a long time.
A minor burn can be treated using a home first aid kit and folk remedies. It is not recommended to apply greasy cream or sunflower oil to the wound, as they impede the access of oxygen to the skin.
Note:
- Some substances react strongly with water.
- If pepper gas gets into your eyes, rinse with soap and water until the irritant is completely removed.
- The specific effect of hogweed juice is associated with ultraviolet radiation; when providing first aid, the victim should be protected from direct sunlight.
- When celandine juice gets on sensitive skin, it causes a burn.
- An overdose of badyagi powder when treating skin diseases can cause damage - read the instructions carefully.
- Use caution when treating facial wounds with hydrogen peroxide. Once on the mucous membrane, it will cause injury to the cornea of the eye.
- If you get a burn on your body or face from the cream, show the tube or instructions to your doctor to determine the component that caused the injury.
Thermal
After breaking contact with the source of a thermal burn, immediately cool the injury site. Boiling water, steam, fire, and hot objects transfer temperature to tissues. Having stopped the effect, it goes deeper inside, destroying the cells. Water will ease inflammation and relieve pain.
Keep the wound under running water for about twenty minutes, then treat with healing, painkillers.
Medications must be applied to a thermal burn of the face carefully. The proximity of the organs of vision and respiratory tract limits the use of sprays. Gently treat the area around the eyes with creams and ointments.
Luchevoy
At the first sign of a radiation burn, you should hide from the sun. The victim's temperature rises, dehydration begins, and severe pain appears. First aid is treating the skin with healing, soothing agents, taking painkillers and drinking plenty of water.
Burnt skin will peel off over time, leaving light spots.
Electric
During an electric shock, it is necessary to break the contact of the victim with the voltage source. The victim is laid on the floor; if he is unconscious, a diagnosis of heartbeat and breathing is carried out. A cushion is placed under the neck to ensure that the head is positioned higher than the body. Artificial respiration and indirect cardiac massage are performed.
After emergency measures, the wound is treated with running water and healing agents.
Rules of conduct in case of facial burns:
- quickly stop contact with the damaging element;
- It is forbidden to remove the formed bubbles; they will be removed by a doctor;
- healing skin will itch and itch - do not give in to temptation;
- Do not apply cosmetics or depilatory creams to the wound.
How to get rid
Damage to the skin of the face causes aesthetic discomfort and can impede necessary physiological processes: swallowing, breathing, opening and closing eyelids, and others. It is important to know how you can reduce lesions on your face.
Medical and cosmetic preparations
Pharmacies provide a wide range of wound healing and disinfectants to help treat burns on the face:
- Antiseptics prevent bacteria from entering the wound, forming suppuration and increasing its area.
- Furagin.
- Furacilin.
- Decamethoxin.
- Alcohol solution of salicylic acid.
- Antibiotics help fight inflammation and infection that has entered the affected tissue.
- Erythromycin;
- Levomycetin;
- Healing remedies are used to heal the burn site itself.
- Furacilin ointment;
- Dermazin;
- sea buckthorn oil;
- balm Zvezdochka.
Surgical methods
Surgical intervention is required for burns of 2,3 and 4 degrees, to maintain the elasticity of the skin, mobility of facial muscles, and reduce scars. Dead epidermis is removed and blisters are drained.
- Excision is used when a large scab forms, to clean the wound, and to remove dense granules formed in the skin. The edges are trimmed with a scalpel, which promotes healing in a given direction and reduces bumpy formations.
- Plastic surgery is used to restore nasal cartilage and prevent tissue death. Surgeries are required for third-degree burns, there is a risk of wound spread and it makes it possible to remove the consequences after healing.
Restoring facial skin after a burn
Protect the burned forehead from contact with hair. They carry pollution and irritate sore skin. Sterile wound conditions are recommended.
Apply the products in a thin layer.
Alcohol-based products dry out the skin, causing irritation. Iodine can cause an even worse burn. Do not use them yourself.
Kombucha tincture accelerates skin regeneration at the site of damage. A compress soaked in tincture will speed up recovery.
The initial stage of the burn does not leave scars and goes away within a few days. The only consequence is a thin layer of dead tissue that will come off on its own. You can be treated at home.
Therapy under medical supervision will help cure 2nd degree burns without scars. It is forbidden to get rid of blisters on your own - protection for a healing wound. Their elimination will serve to form scars. The wound should be treated in stages. First, inflammation and infection are relieved, and after the blisters disappear, the scar heals.
3rd and 4th degree burns may require skin grafting. Tissues are taken from the patient or a suitable donor. This helps restore the epidermal layer.
Do not experiment with questionable cosmetics, protect yourself from the sun. Exactly following the instructions will help you get rid of a burn on your face without consequences.
A burn is severe tissue damage caused by heat or chemicals. It is one of the most common injuries. Burns can affect large areas of the skin and leave deep scars forever. The consequences of burns negatively affect professional growth, relationships with the opposite sex and self-esteem.
Therefore, it is very important to determine the type and extent of damage, as well as to provide the necessary assistance in a timely manner. It is on these conditions that further recovery and the likelihood of consequences depend.
What information will you find out:
Types of burns by type of injury
Wounds received after a burn require long-term treatment
Burns are classified in different ways in medicine. One of the most used classifications is based on the type of lesion. This means that each type of burn differs from the others in the factor that caused the skin damage. Thus, the type of lesion will determine subsequent treatment, as well as the recovery period.
Thermal burns
The most dangerous type of burn. Can be obtained from exposure of the skin surface to high temperature. Among the most unpleasant consequences are not only the remaining scars, but also the likelihood of loss of vision and severe damage to the respiratory organs.
The resulting wounds after a burn require long-term treatment. If the severity of tissue damage corresponds to the third or fourth degree, then the appearance of scars after wound healing is inevitable.
Chemical burns
Today, a chemical burn to the face can easily be obtained at home by purchasing low-quality cosmetics or a strong cleaning product.
Electrical burns
Electrical burns are quite rare. It can be obtained from a place on the skin that becomes the point of entry and exit of electrical charge. A characteristic feature of this type of burn is small but very deep marks. An electrical burn wound resembles a fire burn and is caused by a short circuit.
Radiation burns
Cases of burns on the face from radiation are not uncommon. Radiation burns can occur on the street, as well as during cosmetic procedures in beauty salons.
Light burns
Light burns can occur if you do not follow the simple rules of exposure to the sun. If you don't use sunscreen or wear a hat, there is a risk of getting burned. It is characterized by superficial skin lesions that go away very quickly.
Ionizing burns
This type of damage to body tissue can occur from a laser in a beauty salon during the use of ionizing radiation.
The wound from a burn is shallow, but getting rid of it can be difficult, since the laser injures nearby tissues: the walls of blood vessels become very brittle, bleeding occurs, and the ability of cells to recover is reduced.
Combined burns
In medicine, there is also a type of combined burns. Fans of modern cosmetology and beauty salons can get this type of burn. Since this is where you can burn the skin with cosmetics and laser at the same time.
Classification of burns by degree of damage
It is customary to distinguish 4 degrees of burn damage to the skin of different parts of the body and face.
First degree burns
The top layer of skin is not severely affected. Manifestations: redness, slight swelling, pain. Healing occurs within a few days. Affected skin cells dry out and fall off. There are no scars left on the skin.
Second degree burns
The upper layer of skin is affected much deeper. Manifestations: the same as in the first degree, but small bubbles with liquid still form. The recovery period takes 2 weeks until the skin regenerates on its own. Consequences rarely appear.
Third degree burns
Severe damage to all layers of the skin. This type of burns is usually divided into two types:
- grade “A”: the inner layer of the skin, the dermis, is not completely affected, its lower part is preserved. Manifestations: formation of a dark scab, large blisters. If the wound does not become infected, independent regeneration occurs, but there is a danger of secondary deepening of the burn;
- grade “B”: complete destruction of all layers of the outer cover.
Fourth degree burns
Complete destruction of the dermis and epidermis, nearby tissues, burning of bones and muscles. Once the tissue has healed, the scars remain for the rest of your life.
What to do when your face is burned
How to provide first aid if you or someone else has a facial burn? Please note that first aid for a burn is carried out according to certain rules.
After an accident occurs, you need to call and wait for an ambulance. Also at this stage it is important to stop contact with the damaging factor.
- extinguish the flame, remove boiling water or steam;
- stop interaction with electric current;
- Wash your face after contact with chemicals.
Directing a stream of cold water onto the face is allowed only if the skin is intact. Do not apply sour cream or vegetable oil to the wound after a burn.
It is forbidden to remove remnants of clothing or a hot object that has stuck to the skin from the face after a burn. This should only be done by a doctor, as too large pieces of skin may come off and bleeding may occur. At home, there is a danger of infection if the wound comes into contact with any objects.
It is not recommended to treat a wound on the face and apply a bandage without special skills and medical training for this. Without painkillers, this process will cause the victim severe pain.
If transportation of a patient is required, his entire body must be examined. Check to see if he has any additional injuries (depending on the circumstances of the accident). In the absence of emotional reactions in the victim, such as screaming and crying, you need to remember that with third-degree burns a state of shock often occurs.
Not everyone knows which doctor can help with a facial burn, but this question is wrong, because the first condition for medical care is calling an ambulance team.
If the burn is minor, you can get to the hospital on your own. If you have a third or fourth degree burn, surgery will be required at a burn center. In all other cases, you need to contact a dermatologist or therapist.
First aid for facial skin burns
First aid is provided directly on site or in the hospital. If it is carried out competently, it will quickly heal the burn on the face, speed up the recovery period and reduce the risk of consequences. It consists of the following steps:
- Before treating a burn on the face, you need to administer anesthesia, which depends on the severity of the tissue damage. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ketoprofen, Ketorolac), painkillers and antipyretics (Paracetamol), as well as narcotic painkillers (Omnopon, Morphine, Promedol) are used. The use of local anesthesia is considered common.
- Treatment of burn wounds consists of the following stages: the affected epidermis is removed, the blisters are drained, and a bandage is made.
- If the burn is determined to be first or second degree, the victim is prescribed treatment at home and a prescription for the required drug is issued. After this, the patient comes for a medical examination.
- For third and fourth degree burns, competent medical care is provided in hospital treatment and consists primarily of the use of infusion therapy.
Proper treatment of burns
Further treatment of burns consists of the use of local disinfectant preparations to prevent wound infection:
- antiseptic oxidizing agents: potassium permanganate and 3% hydrogen peroxide solution;
- antiseptics: Dioxidin, Ethacridine lactate, Quinoxidin, Furacilin, Nitazol, Furagin;
- cationic disinfectants (Chlorhexidine, Decamethoxin), ionophores (Gramicidin, Valinomycin), silver nitrate;
- antibiotics: Levomycetin, Erythromycin;
- streptocid.
The listed drugs make it possible not only to remove redness of the skin after a burn, but also to avoid infection in the wound, which promotes speedy healing. But using them on your own initiative is strictly prohibited. It depends solely on the doctor’s decision what the patient should apply to the damaged skin.
To localize pain in a hospital setting, the following means are used:
- Droperidol;
- Ketamine;
- Midazolam;
- Sodium hydroxybutyrate;
- Propofol;
- Sodium thiopental;
- Ftorotan;
- Fentanyl.
Once you have a burn wound, you will need to choose a drug to treat it. First, consult a doctor who will prescribe medications based on the severity of the burn and the type of injury. If the burn is superficial, then to heal the skin you can use drugs such as:
- Bepanten;
- Panthenol;
- Rescuer;
- Olazol;
- Levomekol;
- Solcoseryl;
- Eplan;
- Ebermin;
- Furacilin ointment;
- Actovegin;
- Radevit;
- Syntomycin ointment;
- Dermazin;
- Sea buckthorn oil;
- Argosulfan;
- Calendula ointment.
This variety of medications should not replace a visit to the hospital and consultation with a doctor. Remember that the burn is on the face, so it is very noticeable. And any side effects from improper use of the drug can greatly harm your appearance.
Considering that most often women get burns from cosmetics or cleaning substances, it should be noted that only a dermatologist is able to choose the right treatment package. In addition, you need to find out from him about the possibility of using folk remedies.
Treatment of facial burns at home
To treat first- and second-degree burns on the face, your doctor may recommend using some folk remedies that help wounds heal faster. These can be daily external compresses to the burn site based on medicinal herbs and food products:
- lingonberry juice;
- decoctions from oak, aspen or elm bark;
- apple puree;
- chokeberry berries;
- compress of water and baking soda;
- warm cottage cheese;
- mask of egg white and 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil;
- white cabbage leaves;
- mumiyo solution (3 g per glass);
- crushed charcoal.
If a chemical burn is treated at home, then medical supervision must be a prerequisite.
Typically, such therapy comes down to the use of such means as:
- Dexpanthenol to prevent inflammation.
- Preparations based on vitamins A, B, E and vegetable oil.
- Mephenate is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug.
- Levosin, Olazol, Dioxyzol - for wound healing.
- Actovegin accelerates skin regeneration.
- Sudocrem, Alfogin, Panthenol are drugs with analgesic, antimicrobial and healing effects.
- Miramistin is an anti-inflammatory drug.
When it is necessary to treat a sunburn of the face at home, a complex of traditional medicine and medications is used:
- Lubricate your face with sour cream, kefir or sour milk.
- Use raw potatoes as a compress.
- Apply an aloe leaf cut in half to the affected skin.
- Make a compress from chamomile infusion.
- Apply Panthenol to the burn site.
- Apply hydrocortisone ointment against skin inflammation.
- Apply Indomethacin and Diclofenac against swelling and pain.
- Use cooling gels for pain relief.
Recommended care products
Rules for skin care during the recovery period
In order to fully and quickly restore the skin from burn damage, you need to adhere to some rules:
- complete the course of treatment;
- Avoid applying makeup to affected skin, as well as cosmetic procedures and tanning;
- visit a dermatologist regularly;
- reduce facial activity;
- do not visit saunas and solariums;
- do not take hot baths;
- keep your spirits up.