How NOT to Treat a Burn

shared by andyandy49 on Apr 18

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Burns are at an increased risk of infection because they open your skin, which is your body’s protective barrier against bacteria and other agents. Over generations, dozens of home remedies have dev... eloped to treat household burns fast with whatever may be readily available, and they stick around because they’re cheap and convenient. We aren’t sure about the origins of some of these remedies, but some dull your pain, some soothe and some can lead to nasty complications. We collected the some of the most popular home remedies and compared them to a leading burn treatment gel to see how well they treat pain, soothe skin and promote healing. Some home remedies like ice make sense at first because they will immediately cool the burned area. However, the rapid cooling sensation you get from ice can actually cause more damage, such as frostbite, to your already compromised skin. Not only will ice not help heal your burn, it may end up delaying the burn healing process. Honey is another ancient burn remedy that sounds like a sweet idea at first but may come with unintended consequences. Traditional store bought honey is not as sterile as medical grade honey and may cause your burn to become infected. Additionally, store bought honey contains sticky syrupy additives that may open your burn wound or blisters and peel away skin, thus delaying the healing process. We aren’t sure why people turn to condiments like mayonnaise to treat their burns, but putting mayo on your burn can trap in heat and suffocate your injured skin. In addition to trapping in heat, mayonnaise is not sterile and can introduce harmful bacteria to your burned skin. If anything, this home remedy has the potential to make your burn more painful than it already is and should never be applied to broken or damaged skin. Butter, olive, coconut and lavender oil are incredibly popular skin moisturizers, but should never be used to treat a burn. Like mayonnaise, these oily substances can trap the heat of your burn, amplifying damage to your already compromised skin. This is especially true for people who are trying to treat a sunburn. While oils like coconut oil have antioxidants and vitamin E, the oil will make it harder for your skin to breathe and can hinder the healing process. It is important to keep your skin moisturized, but steer clear of oils until your burn has fully healed. Finally, lemon juice can be used to naturally lighten scars but it does not heal burns. In fact, it’s acidic properties can cause phytophotodermatitis, also known as “margarita dermatitis” or “lime disease.” Phytophotodermatitis is an extremely painful chemical burn that can appear after handling citrus fruit after exposure to UV light.

How NOT to Treat a Burn

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