Should i wash burns

Newly healed grafts are very fragile. Special care should be taken to protect them. Be careful not to bump, rub, or scratch them. Do not wear rough clothing or anything that rubs; this can cause blistering. Meshed grafts are used for larger wounds. For permanent wound coverage, a piece of your own skin is taken from another part of the body donor skin to close the open area. When the donor skin is taken off the body, it shrinks. To stretch the donor skin, it is put through a machine that makes small slits or holes in the skin.

This stretched skin covers a larger area than an unmeshed sheet graft, but leaves a permanent mesh pattern similar to fish net stockings. The wound heals as the areas between the mesh and the holes fill in with new skin. Once the mesh sheet sticks to the skin and the drainage stops, the wound is considered healed and can be left open to air.

Lotion can be used to keep it moist. Full-thickness grafts are used for reconstruction of small areas that are prone to contracture such as the hand or chin. It consists of the full thickness of the skin and shrink the least compared to other grafts. Moisturizing Moisturizing will be very important after burn injury. Once the skin is closed and no longer draining, it is important to keep it well moisturized. This decreases the chances of developing blisters or skin tears.

It also decreases itching and can make movement easier. There are many different lotions available. Lotions in bottles have a higher water content.

They are also easier to apply. They often need to be applied frequently. Lotions in tubes and jars are thicker. They need to be massaged in more thoroughly. They last longer on your skin. Unscented lotion should be applied and massaged into the scar several times per day.

Unscented lotion is important — ask your doctor for recommendations. Applying lotion is a good time to touch your scars using light pressure; touching your scars is helpful in keeping them from getting sensitive. It is also a good time to do a little stretching. Blisters Newly healed skin is fragile. Minor shearing rubbing force on the scar can cause blisters.

Blisters also can develop from clothes that fit too tightly, shearing while putting on pressure garments, or rubbing or scratching the burn scar. Blisters should be pierced and drained as soon as you notice them. Use a sterile STER-il needle to make a small hole. Then drain the blister onto a piece of gauze. Put a little antibiotic ointment on the area. If a blister opens up, you might need to bandage it with a nonstick dressing. Do not use adhesive or sticky bandages or tape that is difficult to take off.

Your skin might tear. Over moisturizing especially on face can occlude pores and cause pimples. If this occurs, reduce moisturizing and consult your doctor or the burn team. Skin Tears Skin tears occur when you bump into something such as a doorway, a counter top, or a piece of furniture. They can also be caused by scratching. If the area bleeds, put firm pressure over the wound for about 5 minutes until the bleeding stops.

Wash the area gently and thoroughly with mild soap and water. Use a small amount of antibiotic ointment and a nonstick dressing and allow the wound to heal. If the surrounding area becomes red and warm, you might have an infection. Contact your health care provider for further evaluation. If the wound continues to crack open, get bigger, or deepen, your health care provider may recommend a splint or cast. This will keep the wound area still.

It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if:. Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if:.

Enter E in the search box to learn more about "Burns: Care Instructions". Author: Healthwise Staff. Gabica MD - Family Medicine. Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional.

Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. When should you call for help? Where can you learn more? Top of the page. Your Care Instructions Burns—even minor ones—can be very painful.

How can you care for yourself at home? If your doctor told you how to care for your burn, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice: Wash the burn with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing. See related article on management of burns. You can get burned by heat and fire, radiation, sunlight, electricity or chemicals.

There are three degrees of burns:. Thin or superficial burns also called first-degree burns are red and painful. They swell a little. They turn white when you press on them. The skin over the burn may peel off in 1 or 2 days. Thicker burns, called superficial partial-thickness and deep partial-thickness burns also called second-degree burns , have blisters and are painful. Full-thickness burns also called third-degree burns cause damage to all layers of the skin.

The burned skin looks white or charred. These burns may cause little or no pain if nerves are damaged. Full-thickness burns—heal only at the edges by scarring without skin grafts. A skin graft is a very thin layer of skin that is cut from an unburned area and put on a badly burned area.

The treatment depends on what kind of burn you have. It is not good to put butter, oil, ice or ice water on burns. This might cause more damage to the skin. Soak the burn in cool water. Then treat it with a skin care product like aloe vera cream or an antibiotic ointment. To protect the burned area, you can put a dry gauze bandage over the burn. Take acetaminophen trade name: Tylenol to help with the pain. If a first- or second-degree burn covers a large area or is on your face, hands, feet or genitals, you should see a doctor right away.

Soak the burn in cool water for 15 minutes. If the burned area is small, put cool, clean wet cloths on the burn for a few minutes every day. Then put on an antibiotic cream or other creams or ointments prescribed by your doctor. Cover the burn with a nonstick dressing for example, Telfa and hold it in place with gauze or tape. Check the burn every day for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, swelling or pus.

If you see any of these signs, go to your doctor right away. To prevent infection, avoid breaking blisters. Change the dressing every day. First, wash your hands with soap and water.