Hello. I am Lee Sang-ju, a dermatologist. Many people unexpectedly suffer burns from hot water or oil splattering while cooking, prolonged sun exposure, or using heating appliances in winter. Today, we will learn in detail how to respond initially to sudden burns.
Why do burns occur?
Burns occur more frequently in daily life than one might think. In particular, many people get burned by hot water, steam, or oil while cooking in the kitchen, or suffer burns from the sun after swimming, or from various accidents.
Classification of burns by depth
Burns can generally be classified into first, second, and third degrees based on their depth.
- First-degree burn: This refers to cases where the skin is red and painful.
- Second-degree burn: This is a burn that causes blisters, where the burn has penetrated deeper than the epidermis into the dermis.
- Third-degree burn: This is a case where not only the epidermis and dermis but also the underlying skin is injured by the burn, and in such cases, it is important to receive treatment quickly.
Importance of initial response according to burn depth
Since the treatment method and prognosis vary depending on the depth of the burn, it is very important to take appropriate initial action.
- First-degree burn: Only slight pigmentation or light surface scars may remain.
- Second-degree burn: Second-degree burns, which cause blisters, generally have a high possibility of leaving not only pigmentation but also scars, so it is important to receive proper initial treatment.
- Third-degree burn: Deep third-degree burns require intensive treatment for the burn area in an emergency room or a specialized burn hospital.
Immediate response to burns
When you get burned, the first thing you should do is as follows:
- Remove the cause of the burn: You should quickly move away from hot objects or fire that caused the burn. If your clothes catch fire, you should extinguish the fire immediately.
- Cool down the heat: It is important to lower the heat of the burned area. Cool the skin with cool water for 20-30 minutes, or up to 50 minutes.
- Sometimes a cold gauze or towel is placed over the area, but if that is difficult, it is important to cool the burned area under running tap water.
- Caution: Using something too cold, like ice, can cause secondary frostbite in the area, so it is advisable to use water, gauze, or towels at a low temperature that can only remove the heat.
- Visit a hospital: If the burn is judged to be severe, it is advisable to visit a hospital immediately to receive appropriate treatment.
What affects burn scars?
The extent of scarring after a burn depends on several factors.
The degree of scarring varies depending on the depth and size of the burn, individual constitution, and how well the post-burn treatment was performed.
Key points of initial burn treatment
After cooling the burned area, the subsequent treatment has two main important goals.
- Promote new skin regeneration: It is important to help new skin grow well in the burned area. For this, moist dressing, which removes exudate and keeps the area moist, can be helpful.
- Prevent secondary infection: The burned area has a damaged skin barrier, so secondary bacterial infection can occur. Good results can be expected if appropriate antibiotic treatment is performed simultaneously to prevent bacterial infection.
Today, we learned how to respond initially when a burn occurs. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. This was dermatologist Lee Sang-ju. Thank you.