Burns Treatment Specialist Q&A

Let’s first start with first-degree burns – the most common kind. When we accidentally touch a hot stove, hair straightener, or curling iron. A sunburn is also a first-degree burn and needs to be treated too. To treat a first-degree burn you will need to take a number of steps: cool the burn with cool tap water and apply wet compresses for 10 minutes or until the pain subsides; apply moisturizing lotion to the burn in order to avoid infection; cover the burn with a sterile bandage as it can heal on its own if covered properly; take over-the-counter medication to relieve any pain; and keep the burn area protected from the sun (avoid the sun, keep the burn covered from the sun, or don’t go out in the sun at all). Then there are major burns – second and third-degree and these are extremely serious. In the event you experience this, you will need medical attention, so call 911 right away for help.

When you experience a burn, cover it right away with a sterile gauze bandage with no fluffy cotton, and wrap it loosely to avoid pressure on the burned skin. The bandage will help keep air off the area, while reducing pain and protecting blistered skin. Before you apply a sterile gauze bandage, ensure that you run cold water over the burn, or soak it in cool water (not ice water) for 5 to 30 minutes, and apply a cold, wet compress until the pain subsides. When a burn happens, ensure that you do whatever it takes to remain calm: panicking will not help the matter. Once the skin has cooled down, applying moisturizing lotion two to three times a day will help thwart off infection and will help speed up recovery.

There are different kinds of burns, which means that healing times are different. Superficial burns, known as first-degree burns, are typically red, painful, swell a little, and the skin may peel off in typically one to two days. Thicker burns, known as second-degree burns, have blisters and are very painful and the recovery rate is less than three weeks. Deep partial-thickness burns, also called second-degree burns, take more than three weeks to heal. Then there are full-thickness burns, also called third-degree burns, that make the skin look charred or white: they only heal on the edges by scarring without skin grafts.

If you have a burn, we are here to provide you with the right care and treatment. Burns happen to most of us when we least expect it, but help is here for you at Fast Aid Urgent Care. Contact us or join the virtual line and we will have you in to see one of our doctors or healthcare specialists. We serve patients from Bulverde Rd San Antonio TX, Windcrest TX, Selma TX, Bastrop TX, Paige TX, Smithville TX, Alamo Ranch San Antonio TX, Leon Valley TX, Helotes TX, La Grange TX, Rabbs Prairie TX, Halsted TX, Leon Springs TX, Fair Oaks Ranch TX, Cross Mountain TX, New Braunfels TX, Hunter TX, Zorn TX and surrounding areas.