Burns

[Tavar]

On Sunday, due to an accident with hot bacon grease, I burned essentially all of my left pinky and ring fingers, and parts of other fingers on that hand. I thought it was just a bad 1st degree burn at first, and in fact it seems to have been getting better. Right now though, the burns seem to be blistering, and sensitivity is increasing again. Is there anything special I should be watching out for, or is this pretty standard?

[Myshlaevsky]

You should probably have gotten it checked out. Burns scar really easily in my experience; I have 3 or 4 burn scars on my hands from relatively minor abrasions. The blistering is just fluid from destroyed blood vessels that collects and cushions the skin. It's probably still just healing - it sounds like a second degree burn, and those can take a few weeks to heal.

[FoE]

Ever heard that expression 'Fight fire with fire'? If you want to heal your burns, then you should burn them out! Go start a fire and stick your hand in it. Watch and be amazed as your injuries are magically healed! Much like the mythical phoenix, you have been reborn through cleansing flame.

Whatever you do, don't listen to the loonies on this website. They'll tell you to go to a forum as you probably have second-degree burns and you might be risking infection. Going to see the local "sawbones" is the surest way to get a limb amputated, mister. Trust me: I'm from the Internet.

[Tirian]

The pain can be controlled with either Advil or Tylenol. Damn, I can never remember which is better for which sorts of pain, but they're both fine in general.

I'd also do my best to keep the wound clean and stuff for a little while. If you can tape a piece of gauze around each of your fingers and then wear a glove, it'll reduce the chance of infection getting into the broken fluid and stuff. Probably not a huge deal, but every little bit helps.

[Darius Midnite]

I agree with Tirian. at first use cooling ointments, and when sores start to appear use antiseptic medic on them. Also, honey is a good remedy for any wound. It has strong anti-septic and it speeds up the healing process. I know this to be true.

[valadil]

I got a second degree burn on my left hand from a similar accident. Only difference is it was taco grease and it got more of my hand and less of my fingers. Made one giant blister the size of a half of a tennis ball.

Don't pop the blisters.

The danger with something like this is infection. I didn't go to the doctor at first because it didn't hurt too badly (and when I told the doctor this he assured me I had nerve damage). I had been popping the blister though, as it was heavy and fragile. He explained how this increased the chance of infection and made me cover the wound with antibacterial ointment and gauze wraps for 3 weeks.

Anyway, as long as the skin isn't broken whether or not you see a doctor is up to you. It takes longer to build up new skin after a burn than after other injuries (I guess because you have a large surface where the skin isn't intact, as opposing to an opening that can be closed up), so if there's any missing skin you'll want to see a doctor.

-- addendum --

After the bandages came off my hand had what looked like a purple flame on it for several months. It seriously looked like something you'd see in anime. 4 years later and there's very faint scarring. Some sections of my hand look sun burned. The skin is a little wrinklier. Nobody notices it but me.

[Shas aia Toriia]

Ever heard that expression 'Fight fire with fire'? If you want to heal your burns, then you should burn them out! Go start a fire and stick your hand in it. Watch and be amazed as your injuries are magically healed! Much like the mythical phoenix, you have been reborn through cleansing flame.

Whatever you do, don't listen to the loonies on this website. They'll tell you to go to a forum as you probably have second-degree burns and you might be risking infection. Going to see the local "sawbones" is the surest way to get a limb amputated, mister. Trust me: I'm from the Internet.

Yet another example of why I will never be as awesome as Face of Evil. Damn.

[cycoris]

I've had severe 2nd degree burns on my face and neck from boiling oil. Due mainly to copious amounts of vitamin E oil and aloe vera gel, I've only got a couple of tiny scars under my eyes.

Smear aloe over the burns, after it's absorbed, smear a thick layer of vitamin E oil over them. Do this at least 3 times a day for the next week, and then maybe twice a day for another few days. After that, use lots of lotion on your hand to keep it from getting dry and peeling.

[Tavar]

What if at least one of the blisters already popped?

[Solaris]

What if at least one of the blisters already popped?

Then it's past time to go see a doctor.

Did you run it under cold water for several minutes after you took initial contact? A burn left unattended will continue to cook.

[Tavar]

Then it's past time to go see a doctor.

Did you run it under cold water for several minutes after you took initial contact? A burn left unattended will continue to cook.

Yes, ran it under cold water, then had it in a cold/cool water bath. And the blister didn't pop until today.

[Jack Squat]

Yes, ran it under cold water, then had it in a cold/cool water bath. And the blister didn't pop until today.

Keep it wrapped in clean gauze. Change the gauze twice a day (I normally change it out after my morning shower and after I've started to settle down for the night), and whenever it gets dirty/wet.

They sell some spray stuff for burns that I was recommended by a neighbor who was an ER nurse, but I didn't much care for it. IIRC, it ended up causing more pain than the burn itself.

They sell special gauze for burns, both a gel-soaked (IIRC) and one that's basically aluminum foil with gauze on top of it. These aren't too helpful a couple days after the burn, but just for future reference, you can put some (clean) aluminum foil over a burn after you run it under water and it helps draw the heat away. If bad enough, a trip to the ER is in order, but I personally haven't gone for any of my 2nd degree ones. No lasting scars thus far.