The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Joey (Birch Bay, WA) on 02/02/2009
★★★★★
Old family cure from Nova Scotia! If you get a burn of any kind (Steam, etc) wrap the burned area in aluminum foil and leave it be! Depending on the severity of the burn, it will generally be healed within 5 to 15 minutes. You'll feel it get cool and you can check the progress if you like, but this heals like nothing else does! I know it sounds wierd, but the first time I tried it, I became a believer - I always have a box of foil on the counter when I'm cooking, just in case!!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Amy-May (Birmingham, England) on 04/03/2009
★★★★★
i had badly cut my hand and the nurse said its a bad friction burn and i'd have to take painkillers, i did that but the pain still remained. so i looked up how to stop it from scarring and hurting, not help at all.. then i found this site. The aluminum foil really helped, i used the non shiney side of it and it stung from the pressure on the burn, after 10 mins there was no pain at all, it will scar [ but thats because of how severe it is ] atleast it doesn't hurt though, thanks xx [ i'm 17, have to live with it forever! ]
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Sarah (San Diego, CA) on 04/14/2009
★☆☆☆☆
In response to the aluminum foil and burns... I do not recommend trying this at all!! When you put aluminum over anything hot, it traps the heat inside and continues to cook... Why would you do that to any part of your body!!?? This is a big NAY from me...
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Josh (Pittsburgh, PA) on 06/07/2009
★★★★★
In response to the "nay" for aluminum foil... a little science (and actually trying it) will go a long way to believing it. First of all, aluminum is an excellent conductor of heat, so when you put it against something hot, it will conduct any heat from the point of contact until it can't hold anymore thermal energy, or the stored energy dissapates into a cooler mass (usually air) so more can be conducted from the heat source. For the same scientific reasons, it also transfers cold equally as well (cold is simply the lack of heat). A basic burn injury actually dissapates alot of its heat before any treatment is actually given anyway, provided the source of the burn is removed (i.e. hot oil, steam, hot metal conductor, etc). The internal body temperature agitates the burn causing more pain that lasts even after cooling it off under cold water (NOT TO BE DONE TO EXTENSIVE BURNS). In short, the foil acts as a conductor of your body heat, alleviating pain due to added warmth on the burn. It works quite well. For extensive burns, seek professional help, preferably from a specialized burn center over a general hospital.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Csmith (Ivins, Utah) on 12/23/2009
★★★★★
I burned my hand while baking. Not thinking about it, I grabbed the very hot pan that just came out of the oven. It burned my palm. I apply cold water and ice packs to my hand for 10 hours and still the pain was extreme. So I looked up on the internet of what could help and came to this site. I read about wrapping the burned area in aluminum foil, and thought that it would not work. But tried it anyways, and about 5 minutes later, the pain was gone. I just couldnt believe it, so I wanted to share my story that I am now a believer with the aluminum foil and burns.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Lvkl4l (Le Sueur, Mn) on 01/08/2010
★★★★★
Yeah! I was skeptical of this at first. I tried it & couldn't believe how well it works! I burned my finger serverly on steam (not bad enough to require medical attn., but still bad). I tried the cold water, vanilla, ointment...nothing really helped it out long term. So I searched the net & found this site. I thought I'd try the foil trick. Low & behold about 30 min. after I put it on, my finger was 100% better! I still have 2 spots that got it the worst that I'm still treating, but I can't believe the difference it made!!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Gif_girl (Berlin, Germany) on 04/30/2010
★★★★★
YES YES YES YES YES!!! my finger olive oil burn went from scream-worthy searing painful (couldn't turn the tap off for more than 15 seconds) to completely docile and dull within 5 minutes!!! didn't have any foil so my boyfriend put a toblerone wrapper on it. i highly recommend this remedy, thank you nova scotia!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Amber (Newville, Pa) on 10/06/2010
★★★★★
I am using foil as I am trying to type this I burnt my thumb about an hr and a half ago and immediately ran cold water over it and then used my daughters hello kitty ice pack on it and could not remove the ice pack for more than 30seconds at a time without it burning really bad I saw this and thought these people are nuts this cant work but it honstly does I cant say it heals it but its made the pain go down massively and ive only had it on about 10mins I think it takes time to work but I believe it works!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Maria (Seattle, Wa) on 10/18/2010
★★★★★
I accidentally poured some coffee on my hand at work. I wrapped some ice in a few paper towels and put that on my hand. It worked, but after an hour my hand was still hurting whenever the ice came off. It was really hard to work around the ice pack too, so I started looked for other remedies. Since I was at work I didn't have a lot of the stuff around, but we did have foil. At first it burned, but I saw someone say that that went away after 5 minutes and another said 10. After 15 it still stung. I put on another piece of foil so that no air was hitting the burn and presto! No more pain.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Sara (Jeff City, Mo) on 10/27/2010
★★★★★
I thought you all were nuts but my thumb hurt so badly from touching the baking sheet about 2 hours ago that I couldn't take the ice pack away from it for more than 20 seconds without screaming pain coming back so I thought what the heck.. I had some foil in the kitchen and decided to go for it. The initial pain was very intense and I wanted to go back to the ice pack and wimp out but I did some heavy breathing and stuck through the pain. It's been about 10 minutes and while the pain is still there, it is now very dull and very tolerable. Thanks for the info. You made me a believer!!!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Kristen (St. Peters, Mo) on 11/07/2010
★★★★★
I touched a sizzleing hot steak plate, burnt my thumb so bad, could only stay off ice for 7 seconds at a time for a full hour, tried the aluminum foil wrapping... Shiny side in, within 10 mins all pain was gone! I can't wait to burn myself again! .... :| j/k
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Ellen (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada) on 11/07/2010
Please do not ever use aluminum foil on your skin ever again. This is very toxic as aluminum causes many disorders including dementia. The aluminum will absorb into your body easily. A better solution is to use coconut oil and oil of oregano together. This not only removes the pain instantly, but it actually heals the wound in a healthy way. Good luck. Sue
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Lori (Denver, Colorado) on 01/29/2011
★★★★★
It worked!!! My son, 9, burnt his finger On a glass pan straight out of the oven. Nothing was working to take his pain away. Found your sight and thought... Well... Tried it and within 2 minutes NO PAIN!!!! After an hour, we removed the foil and all is well. WOW, I am so gratefull to whom ever posted this originally and for the testimonials. THANK YOU
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Christy (Great Falls, Montana) on 03/16/2011
★★★★★
It works! I burnt my right index finger on hot glue in art class, my fingertip turned all red and it hurt so badly! I thought it'd get better after awhile, but after crying through lunch, I knew something was wrong. So I was going to put some burn cream on my finger so I could do my homework on the computer, but my brother was in the shower. I was desperate for help, and googled how to help a burn. I found the aluminum foil remidy, and was VERY skeptical, but I figured I couldn't get any worse, so I tried it and it works! It's nuts! I'm sooooo glad I found this! :D
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Carly (Seattle, Wa Usa) on 03/17/2011
Really wierd huh? About a month ago I was putting a log into my woodstove, and accidentally pushed the top of my thumb (right below the nail bed) into a very hot part of the interior of the stove.
I immediately said a few choice words to myself and then went to the kitchen and got out a piece of aluminum foil. I had been keeping this EC cure in the back of my mind, and now the time had come to try it.
It never hurt at all! I have done this exact same burn in the past, (darned woodstove! ) and it should have started throbbing within a few mins, but it never did! I kept the foil on for about an hour or so.
Here it is a month later, and I still have a pink line below my thumbnail to show for it. It was a deep burn, and the foil really, really worked.
Thanks Earth Clinic and EC posters!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Wendy (Los Angeles, California, Usa) on 05/05/2011
★★★★★
having trouble writing cuz of the tin foil on my burnt finger - pain is gone!!! cannot believe it..wow
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Cee Cee (Charleston, Wv, Usa) on 05/30/2011
Aluminum Foil is the best for burns... Who would've thought?
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Melanyh (Houston, Tx, Us) on 06/18/2011
★★★★★
YEA! I burned myself with cooking oil this morning, leaving a silver dollar-size burn on my wrist. I immediately ran it under cold water, but it still hurt terribly & looked like it was going to blister. I sprayed an OTC product on it, and it cooled it while the spray was wet. When it dried, the pain returned. I tried this remedy, per the site, and am pleasantly surprised. I took a 2" strip of foil and wrapped it around my wrist like a bracelet, securing it with a hair band (not too tight, of course). It felt better after a few minutes, but I have left it on for nearly an hour now & don't feel any more pain. In addition, the redness is almost completely gone. Thank you so much for this wonderful remedy!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Rose33090 (Atlanta, Ga) on 07/12/2011
★★★★★
Thank goodness I found this site. I got 2nd degree burns (blisters and worst pain I have ever had) on 3 fingers from an industrial size curling iron. I had kept them in ice water but could only get real relief from holding an ice cube with fingers till it melted, then another, etc. For 6 hours at that time but if I took my fingers out of water for even a few seconds, incredible pain returned.
I read this blog and tried the foil, shiny side to burn, wrapped each finger individually and still had to put back into water, but after maybe 15 minutes, did not need to add any more ice. The pain lessened greatly over the next 2 hours. After about 4 hours, there was no pain. Took fingers out of water and removed foil. I had no more blisters and no more pain. It's been 4 days and other than my fingers feeling like very dry skin (and if you knew where the blisters were you can see the outlines), I have not had any problems. This blog was a real saver.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Relieved!!! (Huntsville, Alabama Usa) on 07/17/2011
★★★★★
I steam burned my pointer finger on my left hand while removing a lid from a pot of boiling water. The pain was intense! I soaked it in cold water for about an hour. It felt better, but was killing me whenever I removed it from the water. I tried some aloe vera I had from the store. It did nothing to relieve the pain. I looked on here and tried the egg whites. I was greatly dissapointed. It just started to hurt more. I was about to give up, but decided I could try the aluminum foil. At first it hurt so badly I wanted to scream. But while I sat with it on, I read more and more testimonials. It felt only slightly better. Then after reading one of the testimonials, I wondered if I had wrapped it too many times. So I began to unwrap it (about 15 min into the process). I accidentally unwrapped it all the way, and suddenly realized it felt 100% better. CRAZY!!! So, a believer! You should try it, you'll be amazed!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 07/18/2011
Ditto for me. Having seen the aluminum foil work twice for my kids, I ran for it yesterday for a angry red burn. The first few minutes it hurt so much, I was going to give up and put my finger in cold water, but before 5 minutes were up, it stopped hurting! I kept it on for an hour just to make sure, and now there is barely a pink mark.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Blanche (Iberia Parish, Louisiana Usa) on 07/18/2011
I used this more than once and it does work. I'd like to add that the smoother the foil is against your skin the better. If it is too wrinkled there are some places that don't get touched with the foil. Also if you tape it on, try not to use the tape directly above the burned area, as the heat will just stay there against the tape.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Jodes (Brisbane, Australia) on 07/24/2011
★★★★★
well I burnt 4 of my fingers pretty bad tonight taking a pan out of the oven. They blistered pretty much instantly. I had put cream on them had them in water for about 4 hours. Couldn't take them out the pain was really bad, so I found this site. Have now got the foil on my 4 fingers and it does work. It took 5 minutes thank you everyboby for repling because I probally wouldn't have tried it.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Mariela (Mainz, Germany) on 07/29/2011
★★★★★
Ha! Who would have thought? I have spent the last 5 hours wrapping my fingers in ice packs. I was opening the lid of my casserole and burned 3 fingers with the steam. I was going crazy with the pain and was ready to do anything to make the pain stop, after not even getting much relief with the ice packs. I was scared to take my fingers out of the ice pack, so I started with the least severe one, and after about 5 minutes it did stop hurting! I thank you all so much, because all of your comments encouraged me to take one finger out at a time and to try this remedy. God bless you and this amazing site!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Gg (Sacramento, Ca) on 08/15/2011
★★★★★
YOU MUST TRY THIS! Thank you SO much!
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Hayy12 (Sunshine Coast, Australia) on 08/31/2011
★★★★★
oh wow, I burnt my finger with boiling hot oil tonight, I sat there in tears with ice cold water on it for about 4hours, everytime I took my finger out for about 2seconds it would start burning up again, it was so painful that I felt like chopping my finger off haha.
Then I come on here and put aluminium foil on it for 5minutes and the pain has gone, not completly but enough to bare with, thanks guys can finally get some sleep
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Annette (Bangkok, Thailand) on 10/17/2011
★★★★★
I burnt my fingers and palm badly when I picked up my curling wand by the heated end. The pain was intense, and I got small relief with ice packs, but I knew I would have problems the next day (and indeed for the next week) unless I could find another remedy.
I admit I was skeptical about the alfoil remedy, but I wrapped up each finger individually in foil, and then my palm, and the pain intensified. The pads of my fingers were throbbing. I kept reading all the comments about the foil, and thought, "just be patient; it will get better". ANd indeed it did. After about 20 mins the pain huad subsided substantially. I kept pressing the foil on my fingers which seemed to draw more heat out.
I went to bed with the foil still on, and a pair of cotton gloves to hold it in place. This morning I had 3 small blisters on my fingers, but no pain. I am amazed, as normally that type of burn would cause quite a bit of damage.
Thanks so much to everyone for the great advice - I am passing this on to all my friends with children.
Aluminum Foil
Posted by Elaine (Charleston, Il) on 05/24/2012
★★★★★
It really is a miracle. A burn that would have kept me bandaged for days was practically all better in 12 hours.
