How To Avoid Scarring From Burns

Posted on: 15 March 2016

A burn can take a long time to heal. The worse it is, the longer it will take to heal, and the more likely you are to have a scar. What you may not always realize is that even a 2nd-degree burn, which will leave a blister, can leave an unsightly scar. There are things that you can do to help deal minimize the scarring that any burn can leave, especially if it's on the face or hands.

Keep it Covered

If your burn is large or in an odd area, you may feel tempted to leave it uncovered, you may feel like it would be easier to leave it uncovered. However, you want to keep it covered for a lot of reasons. One is that keeping the burn covered will help to keep out infection. Keeping the bandage on your burn may also help to reduce the pain from the burn. That's because nothing can touch the burn, including random breezes.

Leave the Blister Alone

It can be really tempting to poke and prod the blister and to pop it. Once you've popped it, you may want to pull that skin off, But there is a good reason for that blister to exist. It's your body's way of creating a bandage to keep the burn clean and to let it heal in a protected environment. The liquid that is under the blister will also help to keep the damage protected. If the blister does break, then don't pick the skin off; just leave it on the burn and place the bandage over the top of the whole thing. You should always make sure that you use non-stick pads on the burn. That way, if there is any leakage, the pad won't get glued to your burn, which would really hurt when it comes time to take the bandage off and replace it.

Use a Pressure Garment

If the burn is large or you have several burns in an area, you may want to use a pressure garment. They come as shirts, sleeves, socks, and gloves. The pressure garments will act like the top layers of your skin, and help to prevent scar tissue from forming.

If the burns are extensive or are on the face and neck, you should be proactive and go see a cosmetic surgeon like Kettle Charles Dr. They will be able to give you some treatments that will help to prevent scars and can help scars that have already formed.

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