Burns

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Burns

Beat the Heat and Soothe Your Skin

Even the smallest burn--accidentally grazing a red-hot oven rack with one hand or singeing your neck with a curling iron--can cause big-time pain, redness, throbbing, swelling and even blistering.

"The most common burns that I see on women come from either working in the kitchen (cooking injuries and hot-liquid scalds) and from using curling irons," says D'Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., a staff dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Despite their convenience, microwave ovens are a surprising source of an increasing number of kitchen burns, says Candy Kuehn, R.N., nurse manager at the Burn Center at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota. "People overheat liquids beyond the boiling point in the microwave, then pull out the cup without realizing that the cup is hot, or they spill it and they burn themselves."

Erase Curling Iron Burn Marks Using a curling iron takes finesse: One false move, and the hot metal rod is apt to graze your ear or neck, leaving you with a reddish welt that blisters. Unless properly cared for, curling iron burns can leave a brownish scar. To help diminish the unattractive brownish spot left behind after curling iron burns heal, D'Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., a staff dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, offers the following tips. Bleach away the scar. First, says Dr. Kleinsmith, you can apply a mild over-the-counter skin-bleaching cream containing hydroquinone (such as Porcelana) to the scarred area to help lighten it. "Don't use this until after the burn has healed, because it could sting and irritate an open wound and interfere with healing. But if you use a bleaching cream on a healed, closed scar, it's very rare that you would develop a skin irritation." Reach for glycolic acid. As an alternative, Dr. Kleinsmith suggests trying an over-the-counter glycolic acid product, such as Alpha-Hydrox, which helps peel away the top layer of skin. You'll get fastest scar-fading results if you use the glycolic acid and a bleaching cream, she says.

COOL IT

Major burns require medical attention. But even when a burn is minor, immediate action helps keep pain and skin damage to a minimum, say women doctors and other health care professionals. Here's their advice.

Run it under cool water. Apply cool water immediately to stop the burning process, says Kuehn. "Don't use ice, because it's too cold and could further traumatize already damaged skin."

Milk or soda works, too. If water is not convenient, use whatever you have nearby to cool a burn quickly--even milk or a cold can of soda wrapped in a clean towel, says Dr. Kleinsmith. Then rinse the burn with cool water as soon as possible.

Cool with a compress. Apply a washcloth or towel soaked in cool (not icy) water on and off for several hours. So says Evelyn Placek, M.D., a dermatologist and doctor of internal medicine in private practice in Scarsdale, New York.

What Women Doctors Do Think Fast D'Anne Kleinsmith, M.D. During lunch one day, D'Anne Kleinsmith, M.D., a staff dermatologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, spilled boiling-hot coffee on her finger. Fortunately, quick thinking literally saved her skin. "I immediately dunked my finger in the glass of ice water at my place setting and kept it there until the pain began to subside," says Dr. Kleinsmith. Other options include: * Running your finger under cold water * Dunking it in a glass of cold milk * Wrapping it in a cold washcloth Afterward, apply an antibacterial ointment and loosely bandage the burn.

Take aspirin or ibuprofen. If you take an anti-inflammatory medication quickly enough--within the first hour or so after a burn--it will not only ease pain but it might also actually prevent the burn from getting worse, says Dr. Placek. If you do not have a stomach ulcer, she recommends that you continue taking two 200-milligram tablets or capsules every six hours for one to two days to keep inflammation and swelling down and to help decrease the severity of the wound.

Be gentle with blisters. In general, leave a burn blister intact--it's your body's way of providing a protective bandage, says Kuehn. "The collection of fluid in the blister is the white blood cells that the body sends to help protect against infection and help with the healing process," she explains. If the blister is small, your body will naturally reabsorb the fluid within a few days. (For additional advice on dealing with blisters properly, see page 62.)

Clean the burn. Gently cleanse the burn area at least twice a day with mild soap and cool water or with hydrogen peroxide, which kills germs, suggests Dr. Kleinsmith.

"Some burn centers recommend cleaning burns twice a day, especially if the wound seems infected or if the dressing becomes soiled be cause of your daily activity," says Kuehn.

When To See A Doctor When it comes to deciding whether or not to get medical attention for a burn, women doctors and other health care professionals offer these guidelines. See a physician if: * The burn is larger than the palm of your hand, deep or severe--that is, characterized by deep ulcers and open sores. * The burn is small but deep--that is, extremely tender, painful, swollen and blistered. * The burn occurs on your face, hands, feet or genitals. * The burn has pus, yellowish drainage or a yellowish crust. * The area around the burn looks red or feels hot. * You have signs of a fever. * The burn causes unmanageable pain. Electrical or chemical burns should always be treated by a doctor, because the burns may actually be much worse than they appear on the surface, says Candy Kuehn, R.N., nurse manager at the Burn Center at St. Paul-Ramsey Medical Center in Minnesota. And burns on children under the age of five or in elderly people (who may have weaker-than-usual immune systems) should generally be examined by a physician. If in doubt, call a doctor or a burn center hot line for help in assessing burn severity. The St. Paul-Ramsey Burn Center, for example, provides a 24-hour toll-free information line, 1-800-922-BURN, which you can call from anywhere in the country for advice.

Apply antibacterial ointments. These over-the-counter salves will help kill germs and prevent infection, says Dr. Kleinsmith. Avoid neomycin (an ingredient in some salves), though--it can cause a red, itchy allergic reaction in some people.

Bandage the burn. "For small burns an adhesive strip will suffice," says Dr. Kleinsmith. "For larger burns gauze dressings and tape work better."

Keep it mobile. Keep bandages loose and move the joint or burned area as much as possible, so that joints don't stiffen up and so that skin stays supple, says Kuehn. Movement also boosts circulation to the area, which helps with healing and clears out fluid buildup.

Moisturize skin. After the wound has healed over, thinly apply a moisturizing lotion. "A healing burn can have lots of itching and cracking, which interfere with the skin's ability to moisturize itself," says Kuehn. Moisturizers can help restore elasticity to the skin and reduce dryness and flakiness. Fragrance-free lotions are best.

Fill up on fluids. Water keeps skin hydrated and helps burns heal, says Michele M. Gottschlich, R.D., Ph.D., director of nutrition services at the Shriners Burns Institute in Cincinnati. Aim for eight eight-ounce glasses a day.

Eat plenty of protein. While your burn heals, beef up on high-protein foods such as skim milk, lean meats, nuts, beans, eggs, peanut butter and fat-free cheeses, says Dr. Gottschlich. "Protein helps speed burn healing by rebuilding collagen, a building block of skin tissue. So with any burn your protein needs will be higher--and the larger the burn, the more protein you need."

Eat C. To help your burns heal from the inside out, Dr. Gottschlich recommends eating a variety of foods, including fruits and vegetables. "Good nutrition is just as important to burn healing as is cleaning the wound." Vitamin C (found in foods such as oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, orange juice and tomatoes) helps rebuild collagen in tissue and speeds healing. "If it's difficult to change your eating habits on top of caring for a burn, consider taking a daily multivitamin supplement," she says.