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MoreWe have all experienced having a minor burn. It can because you stayed too long in the sun, spilled some kind of hot liquid on yourself or because of electricity. This kind of minor burn is called a first-degree burn, and you don’t need to worry too much about it because it only injures the first layer of the skin. First-degree burns will make your skin red, and you may also feel a painful swelling at the site of the injury. Within a day or two, your skin will start to peel, and it usually takes a couple of days for it to heal. Natural home remedies can be used to speed up the healing process. They work like magic in helping with minor burns, but if your burn is due to electricity or is more advanced, you should visit your doctor and seek medical treatment.
Cold Water
Whether the burn is a result of sunstroke or hot liquid, the first thing you need to do is to run some cold water over the burn. You should the water running for a couple of minutes until you start to feel more comfortable. When the cold water runs on the burned area, it protects you because it stops the burn from spreading to the areas around it. It can help relieve the pain and redness for a while. You can also place a cold compress over the burned area. This will ease the pain you feel and help reduce the swelling.
Avoid Ice
Treating burns with ice is a common mistake that many people make. This is wrong for two reasons. First, when you place ice on your skin, it makes it very cold. This will cause more damage to your tissue, especially the tissue in the burned area that is already fragile. This can slow down the healing process and make the burn takes longer to heal. The other reason is that if it turned out to be a second-degree or third-degree burn, then placing ice will lead to complications because it comes in contact with the deeper parts of the skin.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera has many different useful compounds and is popularly used for the treatment of minor burns. It can stimulate the damaged tissue in the burned area to promote healing. You can cut a small piece of an aloe leaf and apply the gel that comes out of it directly on the burned area. You can also purchase the gel by the bottle.
Raw Potato
After you run cold water on the burn, other measures can be taken to help relieve the pain and swelling. A slice of raw potato can be applied to minor burns. Begin by cutting a raw potato into slices. Then, take one of those slices and slowly rub it on the area of the burn. It is better if the juice of potato gets released over the burn. Replace the potato as necessary.
Honey
Honey has powerful antibiotic abilities and has a natural pH balance that makes the skin inhospitable to bacteria. That is why it can prevent bacteria from infecting the burned area. Honey also has anti-inflammatory properties which mean that it can be used to reduce inflammation. This helps the burned area heal without developing scars. Simply spread honey on gauze and place the dressing on the burned area. You can change this bandage four times a day.
Toothpaste
Toothpaste is one of the home remedies that many people use to treat minor burns and relieve the pain and redness. Mint toothpaste can give you an immediate sense of relief. You want to be careful and avoid using it if there is an open wound in the burned area or near it. You should also avoid applying toothpaste on a second-degree burn because toothpaste is not sterile and it can make the blister dry, which will make it more difficult for it to heal.
Tea Bags
Applying tea bags onto a burned area can help you feel less pain. This is because black tea contains tannic acid, which can assist in drawing the heat out of the burned area. Simply take a wet tea bag and apply it on the burn. Make sure that the tea bag is cold to avoid adding more heat to the area. If you don’t want to apply the tea bags directly, you can also let them steep in warm water, then let the water cool. Then, soak a cloth in the cooled tea and apply it on your burn.
Vitamins C and E
Vitamins C and E are important antioxidants that can make the wound heal faster. They do this by removing the free oxygen radicals that could be present in the damaged tissue of the burned area. Vitamin C enhances the process of the wound healing because it is an essential component that the body needs to form new collagen. Collagen is an important kind of fiber that is part of your body tissues. You can find Vitamin C in oranges, red peppers, kale, and broccoli. Vitamin E can be found in almonds, spinach, sweet potato, and avocados.
Vanilla and Vinegar
Vanilla extract can be used to relieve the pain of minor burns. When you dab vanilla onto the burned area, the alcohol in it will evaporate and reduce the pain you feel. Another home remedy that is readily available is vinegar. Vinegar can also lessen the pain because it contains acetic acid which is one of the components of aspirin. Vinegar also has antiseptic properties, so it will protect your skin against infections.
Avoid Oils
You should make sure that you don’t apply any oil or butter to the area of your skin that has been burned. Oil and butter will only trap the heat and make it more difficult for the burn to cool down. This will cause the damage to spread to the surrounding areas of the skin. You should also avoid applying egg whites on the burn because they can contain bacteria and will make the burned area infected.
