Burn injuries are one of the most common skin injuries. They cause serious complications and the formation of scars and scars. The greatest danger is a burn to the face. Damage to the nose, lips, ears, and eyes leads to disruption of the most important functions of the body.
If you are injured by fire, chemicals, boiling water or electricity, you should immediately call an ambulance. Early treatment reduces the risk of negative consequences and allows you to quickly restore health.
Clinical picture
Any burns are classified according to the depth of damage and the area affected. Doctors distinguish 4 degrees of such injuries. Each has its own characteristics:
- The first is minor injury. The main symptoms are redness of the skin, burning and slight swelling.
- The second is manifested by severe pain, the formation of blisters filled with serous contents.
- The third - causes serious destruction of the epidermis, the formation of open weeping wounds and swelling.
- The fourth one affects muscles and can damage bone tissue. The person is in a state of shock and is capable of losing consciousness from pain.
Burns on the face are the most dangerous. Under the influence of aggressive substances or high temperature, there is a risk of damage to the respiratory tract, skin on the forehead, around the lips and eyes.
Due to the anatomical features, the epidermis in this area is difficult to restore. To avoid scars and scarring, the affected person may require cosmetic surgery.
Course and complications
Thermal and chemical burns of the neck and head have an ICD code of 10 T20. Damage included:
- any part of the ear;
- temples;
- scalp;
- nasal septum;
- around the eyes and lips;
- cheeks, chin, forehead.
The course of the disease depends on the depth of injury. For 1st and 2nd degree burns, recovery occurs within 2 weeks, provided that first aid and proper treatment are provided correctly. If you exclude wound infection, you can avoid scars. A stain remains at the burn site, which gradually lightens and becomes almost invisible.
Third and fourth degree burns lead to tissue necrosis. Damaged areas take a long time to heal, and suppuration may begin, complicating the regeneration process and requiring the use of antibiotics and other potent drugs.
Deep burn injuries to the face cause damage to the cartilaginous septum of the nose and ears. In such cases, surgery may be required.
Thermal burn
Damage is provoked by high temperatures. Most often it occurs when the skin comes into contact with boiling water, steam, hot oil, or fire.
When exposed to negative influences, a person reflexively closes his eyelids to protect his eyes. This feature in some cases protects the organ of vision from irreversible damage, but causes severe injury to the eyelids, which is difficult to treat.
If you get a burn to your face, you should definitely call an ambulance.. Only a doctor is able to assess the depth of the lesion and prescribe the correct treatment. For 1st and 2nd degree burns, it is allowed to treat the injured area of the house, following all the recommendations of a specialist. Deeper injuries require inpatient treatment in a burn department.
First of all, it is necessary to neutralize the thermal effect. Put out the fire, push the person away from the steam or hot object.
If the integrity of the skin is not compromised, you should place your face under running water and cool for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse the dermis with an antiseptic. Can be used:
- Chlorhexidine;
- Furacilin solution;
- hydrogen peroxide.
In order not to aggravate the damage, when providing first aid, it is prohibited to use medical alcohol, iodine, brilliant green, vegetable oil and fat.
After washing the skin, you need to treat the damaged area with an anti-burn ointment or aerosol, for example, Panthenol or Olazol. Cover it with sterile gauze and wait for the doctor to arrive. To relieve acute pain, you need to take analgesics.
To treat 1st and 2nd degree burns, wound healing external ointments are used. As prescribed by a doctor, use:
- Bepanten;
- Levomekol;
- furatsilin ointment;
- Vishnevsky liniment;
- Dexpanthenol;
- balm Rescuer;
- Solcoseryl.
Before applying the product, the epidermis is disinfected with peroxide. Treatment is carried out 2-3 times a day. If blisters have formed, it is advisable to apply an occlusive dressing.
Severe burns require powerful medications and inpatient therapy. The doctor prescribes treatment on an individual basis based on the patient’s condition. To relieve swelling, antihistamines are used, and antibiotics are used to relieve infection. If necessary, plastic surgery is performed by excising the burned layers of the dermis and transplanting healthy skin to this place.
Chemical exposure
Injury from chemicals poses a serious health threat. Such burns occur upon contact with alkalis, acids, and household chemicals.
Some reagents continue to destroy the epidermis even after they are removed from the surface of the skin. In such cases, the extent of the damage can only be assessed after a few days.
In order to properly provide first aid, it is important to know exactly what substance caused the burn and neutralize its effect. The algorithm of actions is as follows:
- Rinse the damaged area with cool water for 20 minutes;
- apply a sterile dry cloth;
- take painkillers;
- call an ambulance.
If acid gets on your face, you need to get rid of it with a 2% solution of baking soda. For alkali, use a 2% vinegar solution. When injury is caused by organic aluminum or phenol, treatment with ethyl alcohol is necessary.
When providing first aid, a chemical burn should not be lubricated with medications. Medicines can react with aggressive substances and worsen the patient’s condition.
Therapy includes the use of wound healing agents and painkillers. Once the chemical is neutralized, treatment is the same as for thermal burns. In severe cases, the victim needs a specially equipped ward, antibacterial therapy and surgery.
To prevent scarring, physical therapy is helpful during the healing stage. Infrared radiation and ultrasound are good for removing scars and triggering cell renewal.
Electric shock
Electrical burns occur from contact with exposed wires, faulty electrical appliances, or being struck by lightning.
Damage often affects the deeper layers of the skin and causes injury to internal organs. When interacting with voltages up to 380 V, 1st or 2nd degree burns are formed. If the current strength is higher, there is a threat of damage of 3 and 4 degrees. A powerful electrical discharge can cause charring of the epidermis, leading to myocardial infarction and death.
A characteristic sign of an electrical burn is tissue swelling. The mark from contact with the current is clearly visible on the patient’s face.. The surface of the skin dries and becomes grayish-white. Strong exposure causes necrosis and detachment of the epithelium.
The recovery process occurs gradually. Proper treatment stimulates cell regeneration, restores the sensitivity of nerve endings and the elasticity of the epidermis.
During an electric shock, it is necessary to stop the victim’s contact with the current as quickly as possible. You need to disconnect the device from the power source or push the person away with a wooden stick.
- The patient should be placed on his right side and given cool water to drink.
- If he loses consciousness, perform artificial respiration and cardiac massage.
- Place a sterile cloth on the burned area.
With a severe electrical burn, a state of shock is often observed. The person does not feel pain and says that he is fine. This is a deceptive reaction, so you need to urgently call an ambulance. While she is driving, the victim needs medications to support the heart, for example, Corvalol, motherwort tincture, Validol.
Once first aid has been provided, burns should be treated according to the standard regimen required for thermal injuries.
Rules for skin care during the recovery period
After wounds heal, the skin needs additional care. It should be aimed at increasing immune defense, nutrition and hydration.
- A fresh potato mask helps a lot. The tuber needs to be rubbed and the mixture placed on a cleansed face. Leave for 20 minutes and rinse with chamomile decoction. Do the procedure in the evenings 2-3 times a week.
- You can use cucumber, parsley, aloe. Soak a piece of gauze in freshly squeezed juice and place it on your face. Action time: 20 minutes.
- A cream based on medicinal herbs and natural oils is useful for softening.
To get rid of burn marks from the face or make them less pronounced, medications are in demand. Gels Actovegin, Mederma, Contractubex quickly regenerate the skin. They must be used regularly, following the instructions.
Only a specialist can choose the right therapy to resolve burn marks and scars. In some cases, home treatment needs to be replaced with professional procedures in a beauty salon.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 3rd 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.
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
It is strictly forbidden to apply ice to a burn. This will not alleviate the patient’s condition, but can provoke another injury - frostbite.
- 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.
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 received a reputation as the most effective means to cure a burn:
– activates regeneration processes, relieves swelling and accelerates healing, apply a thin layer to the affected area using a pipette or clean hands.
– 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.
– cover the affected area and hold until the sheet is heated. Cabbage is also excellent in eliminating swelling, redness and has mild anti-inflammatory properties.
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.
– 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.