How to heal a burn fast: A detailed guide

Burns are common household injuries, often sustained from cooking or using boiling water. They can be very painful and even cause scarring in some cases. Acting quickly when you experience a burn can help with the healing process.

You can take some first aid measures immediately after a burn to help reduce its severity and aid with healing. Some home remedies can also help while you recover, such as applying aloe vera. Sometimes, you may need medical attention and medications to heal your burn.

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Immediate first aid for burns

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most burns occur at home and work. The first step after receiving a burn is to start first aid immediately. First aid refers to the care you can give immediately after an injury before seeing a medical professional.

The first thing to do when you or someone else has sustained a burn is to make sure the area is safe. Try to extinguish any flames and avoid touching whatever caused the burn. You can also treat minor burns bearing the “4 Cs” in mind:

• Cooling: Immediately remove the cause of the burn, if possible. If the burn is over a small area, it can be cooled using cool — but not cold — tap water or saline for at least 20 minutes. This can prevent the burn from progressing and reduce pain.
• Cleaning: You can clean the burn with a very mild soap or antibacterial wash, particularly if a chemical has caused it.
• Covering: You can cover the burn using special dressings to help prevent infection. You can sometimes do this in combination with topical creams or ointments to speed up healing.
• Comfort: You can use over-the-counter (OTC) pain medications to increase your comfort levels and reduce pain while your burn heals.

Performing fast first aid can prevent further damage from the burn, which can limit damage and reduce your pain, ultimately speeding up healing.

When to seek medical attention

Burns are generally categorized according to severity, which is determined by the depth of the wound — i.e., how deep into your skin it goes — and how much of your body is affected.

Burn depth can fall into three categories according to what layer of the skin the burn extends to:

• First-degree burns: These are superficial burns that affect only the epidermis (the top layer of your skin). They’re usually warm, painful, and red or discolored, but they don’t cause blistering. A sunburn is a common example of a first-degree burn.
• Second-degree burns: Second-degree burns are slightly deeper than superficial burns, going through the top layer and affecting the layer below, called the dermis. These are usually more painful and cause blisters.
• Third-degree burns: These burns go through the epidermis and the dermis into the fat below your skin or maybe even deeper. Due to the extent of the damage, they don’t cause pain, and they can look white, brown, or charred. They will feel firm and leathery to the touch.

For second- and third-degree burns, it’s also important to calculate how much of the body is affected in a percentage. If you have second-degree burns greater than 10% of your body surface area or any full-thickness burns, it’s important to seek medical attention right away.

Medications to treat burns

Medications may sometimes be necessary to manage burns and speed up healing. Mild burns may only need OTC medications, while deeper, more severe burns will likely require prescription drugs.

Some OTC pain medications include ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol). You might also try topical pain relief, such as diclofenac gel (Voltaren), which you apply directly to the affected area.

Another option is topical antiseptic creams. These contain ingredients that can slow the growth of harmful microorganisms, like bacteria, on your skin, which can prevent infection and speed up healing. A common example is the brand Savlon.

In more severe cases, doctors might prescribe medications. For instance, they will likely prescribe topical antibiotics if you have a bacterial infection. The main example is silver sulfadiazine (Silvadene), which is approved to prevent and treat wound infections in people with second- and third-degree burns.

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Home remedies for burns

Alongside first aid strategies, home remedies can help manage symptoms and speed up the healing process of first-degree and small second-degree burns.

Aloe vera, either pure aloe vera or in the form of creams and ointments, has several properties that make it a good option for wound care. It can moisturize and soothe the skin and promote new skin growth, which can speed up the healing process of burns.

According to some 2022 research, aloe vera can be very effective in healing second-degree burns, even providing faster healing than other treatments.

To help manage pain, you may consider using cool compresses and cool water on the burn. It’s also important to keep the wound clean and dry.

Summary

People often sustain burns at home or work, and they can vary in severity. The first step to healing a burn fast is giving first aid as soon as possible. This involves cooling, cleaning, and covering the wound.

You can usually manage first-degree and smaller second-degree burns at home with first aid, OTC pain relievers, and topical remedies like aloe vera. If your burn becomes infected, doctors might also prescribe topical antibiotics.

Third-degree burns are a medical emergency — call 911 or seek immediate medical assistance if you or someone you know sustains a third-degree burn of any size.

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