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.
Alcohol
Posted by Jenna (Phoenix, Arizona) on 04/19/2012
★★★★★
As a healthcare provider I have learned what works and doesn't, don't use butter! I burned myself on a iron skillet nothing has burned me worse before. All I had around was hand sanitizer which was a high percentage of alcohol. Reccomended 100%.
Plastic Wrap
Posted by Natali (Phoenix, Az ) on 03/02/2012
★★★★★
A lot of people here are suggesting the foil method. However, I don't have any tin foil on hand to try it out. I had been contently soaking my fingers in ice water after being burned by super hot liquid, but came across a post warning of this. The person stated that soaking your burn can increase the pain and likelihood of blistering from the skin swelling with water. Since this made sense to me, I read more posts. It seems the foil works by blocking air from the burn, so I figured plastic, also less daunting than foil, would have the same effect. It did! The waves of pain are further apart and the intensity is diminishing. I recommend this method for those wary of having foil rubbing against such a sensitive injury.
Aloe Vera and Egg Whites
Posted by J (Toronto, On) on 02/23/2012
I saw you comment, the egg white provides a barrier when dry, the gauze on top of the wound scared me a bit ( will stick to the wound ) and real aloe is a great repairer, running under cold water is to relieve pain but mostly to negate or stop the continuance of the actual burn , like putting a fire out, egg whites are only good for 1st and very small area 2nd degree burns... And wash the outside of the egg first as well as make sure they are within the fresh date code... salmonella is what we want to stay away from when applying to a wound.
Sour Cream
Posted by Chelsea (Catawba, Nc) on 02/13/2012
★★★★★
I burned my finger when I picked up my straightener and did not realize it was on so I put sour cream on it and the pain started to go away as soon as I put it on.
Ice
Posted by Grannykeeperpdx (Portland, Or) on 02/05/2012
★★★★★
I have used ice and ice water for burns for years, but there are a few tricks. First, you have to leave the burn in contact with ice until it stops hurting, but you want to put it in a tea towel (thin dish towel or rag - not terry cloth). The trick is to leave it in contact with the burned area until it stops burning, about 20 minutes or so. This is for a minor burn. Once it becomes numb, take off the ice. If it starts to burn again, you need more time.
This said, you must know the risks of shock. Dumping a cup of hot tea in your lap and burning your genitals can easily put you into shock. This happened to a friend of mine and they put ice water packs on her (rags soaked in ice water) for quite a long time. I was there to see it. They sent her home with ointment of some kind. Cold stops the tissue from cooking, but you can also freeze the tissue and damage it. So, you have to use common sense. If you leave ice directly on skin for too long, it will freeze it like anything else. Check it often. If you can't take the ice, use ice water or rags soaked in ice water.
Know the symptoms and risks of shock. If you are alone and you are at risk of going into shock, call 911. Do not try to treat yourself. Do your homework, and use common sense.
Tea Tree Oil
Posted by Dori (Waukesha, Wisconsin) on 01/29/2012
★★★★★
For fast healing and less pain of minor burns, tea tree oil on it as soon as possible is amazing! I would think the oil under the aluminum foil would work well.
Lavender Oil
Posted by Maria (Montreal, Quebec) on 01/22/2012
★★★★★
Use lavender oil (preferably pure) to relieve pain from burns, also speeds up healing process and leaves burn area with no or almost no scarring.
Urine
Posted by Sandy (San Francisco, California, Usa) on 01/22/2012
★★★★★
It took my husband literally YEARS to convince me of this, but it really works like magic for burns: As soon as possible after you burn yourself, pee on it. As in, go to the toilet and hold your burnt hand in your urine stream. The sooner you do this, the less tissue damage.
My husband is an avid fisherman and he'd been telling me that all fishermen know this trick, but I confess I thought it was just a fish story. Then one day, after years of rejecting this suggestion, I was cooking for a dinner party; we were expecting several guests within an hour. In a distracted hurry, I opened the oven and reached in and took hold of both sides of the pan with my bare hands (ouch!! ). I watched as my hands began to blister, and realized I'd soon have third-degree burns on most of the surfaces of both palms, and further food preparation seemed out of the question. This was an emergency, and my usual slow-healing approaches with aloe, honey, etc. Would be inadequate to save my dinner party. SO, long story short (too late! ) I ran to the bathroom and peed on my hands. When the warm liquid hit the burns, it HURT even more, but only for maybe three seconds. Then, the pain began rapidly subsiding. I held my hands up and watched in amazement as the blisters went down. Within five minutes, all the pain was gone and all that was left of the burns was a little pinkness. I washed my hands and went back to my cooking as if nothing had happened!
I understand why no one talks about this even on the Internet, because it's a gross-out to think a person (especially a COOK) would urinate on their hands. BUT, soap and water cleans up the residue after the medicine has done its magic. If you're like me, you'll be revolted at this suggestion, and ignore it... Until maybe someday when you're faced with a serious burn and a situation in which you NEED to heal immediately. The best thing about this absolutely effective burn cure is that you'll always have the remedy with you.
Alcohol
Posted by Rebekah (Sherwood, Oregon, Us) on 12/14/2011
Water usually only gets rid of the pain for a few minutes. I have found that if it's cold outside and you go out it takes the pain of the burn away. Once I burnt my ear straightening my hair and it hurt so bad and I didn't know what to do so I left it. Soon after that it stopped hurting. I know it sounds dumb but it really works! I also heard tea helps- anybody know what tea?
Alcohol
Posted by Symone (Port Huron, Michigan, United States Of America) on 12/03/2011
My left fingers BURN so bad because I made hot fudge in the microwave and I made a mistake and spilled it. Right now I have a bunch of ice cubes and a big bowl of water for my hand. It has been hurting for hours now : what should I do?
Cinnamon
Posted by Mizvee (Wallingford, Ct, Usa) on 11/26/2011
★★★★★
Try cinnamon on your next burn. I keep it in my car, back/sports pack, work & kitchen. Any burn; iron, gas/electric/wood stove, insect or jellyfish sting, motorcycle muffler or abrasion can be remedied using this native healing product. Our family has been using for generations for it's anispetic/healing capability. May be applied as often as needed. Doesn't stain clothing or furniture. Promotes healing via it's phytochemical compounds to reduce pain, counteract bacteria and disinfect wounds without blistering and little to no scarring. I've had 3rd degree burns from a clothes iron (inner arm) and from motorcycle pipes (leg calf) and have no scarring. Use it on my grandkids at the beach when they encounter jelly fish. Simply shake on, the pain is immediately gone. If pain returns (as with 2nd & 3rd degree burns) simply shake on more. Blistering will be minimal & will not run (aka 'leak'). Scabbing will look slightly darker than normal, but will come off without leaving any disfigurment to the skin surface. On major injuries, I use until fully scabbed. (And it smells good too! )
Alcohol
Posted by Carri (Wales, United Kingdom, Wales) on 11/24/2011
I was in work when one of the pieces of the griddle flew off and I instinctively caught it. And burnt the tips of my fingers and palms. My boss administered first aid and applied a burn patch which just made it worse, so I took that home and carried a cold can of red bull around for the rest of my shift. I came home and have just came on here to look for a rememdy. I applied alcohol but it only subsided for about 3 minutes. After summing the guts up I have wrapped my fingers in foil and already the pain is a lot less than it was. Still hurting but a lot less. It is very daunting wrapping your fingers up when you know it's going to hurt but I put my hand under the tap and wrapped one finger at a time.
Alcohol
Posted by Clarinetgirl55 (Mt. Sterling, Kentucky/united States) on 10/11/2011
★★★★★
I burnt my pinky finger and ring finger really bad this morning while straightening my hair. I put alcohol on my fingers and the bubble that had formed on my pinky automatically started to go down and my fingers stopped hurting!
Mustard
Posted by Uptrender (Rolla, Missouri, Usa) on 09/12/2011
★★★★★
When I get burned, I first run cold water on it for a little while, then pat it dry and grab the bottle of mustard out of my fridge and coat the burn with it. It's cold and immediately soothing. The plus side is, that the mustard helps prevent the burn from turning into a blister. If it starts to hurt again, rinse it off with cold water, pat dry and apply the cold mustard again.
DMSO
Posted by Christopher (San Diego, California) on 08/19/2011
MSM works faster and is a derivative of DMSO
Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Tried It (Plano, Tx) on 07/23/2011
it's possible the ACVdoesn't work well for those with sensitive skin. I personally have had great success with ACV on burns and so has my eldest daughter. My youngest has many allergies and sensitive skin (eczema, etc. ) and she does not experience the same results. It seems to make her worse. So, I stick to good old aloe for her. Not quite as great as the ACV for me, but pretty good nonetheless.
Hold Ear Lobe
Posted by Abe (Salmon Arm, B.c. Canada) on 07/19/2011
★★★★★
I have a remedy for minor burns that my father taught me. It may sound hokey but it worked for him and it works fror me. I am a welder by trade and I have burned myself many times. Especially my fingers. My Dad told me whenever I burned my finger to immediately grab my ear lobe and hold the burned area on the ear lobe and within 20 minutes the pain is gone. This works fo me every time. Somebody might say I'm nuts but I gaurantee it does work.
Flour
Posted by Helen (New York, NY) on 04/27/2011
★★★★★
A friend recommended flour for burns and I tried it when I burned my hand when hot oil splattered and it works! I keep a small jar of white flour in refrigerator and use it whenever I get a burn.
Butter
Posted by Waxedfinger (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania/ Usa) on 04/13/2011
★★★★★
one remedie my friend gave me tonight- burn my finger really bad, I couldnt even sleep. Finally I got up and emailed him, asking him a good remedy. Him and his sister said butter! Just rub some butter on your burn, boom, its gone. it works amazingly.
Alcohol
Posted by Kallie (Berlin, Germany) on 01/16/2011
i was baking cookies and when I went to go get them out I burnt myself on the rack in the oven and I jumped and ran over to the sink to put cold water on it and then I went to the computer found this website and herd that alcohol works so I took an alcoholic pad swiped the burn and imidialely it stoped hurting. it really works.
Tomato Paste
Posted by Joanna (Geelong, Vic, Australia) on 12/10/2010
★★★★★
Burns: Just place tomotoe paste to the affected area for up to 30 mins then wash off with cold water, repeat process if needed.
Flaxseed Oil
Posted by Maria (Toronto, Ontario) on 10/04/2010
★★★★★
Burn Remedies -- Flax oil is a very good remedy for burns - when cooking etc. Just apply it to the burn. It relieves pain quickly and speeds up healing. Good luck.
Baking Soda, Black Tea Bag
Posted by London (Sandusky , Ohio) on 08/08/2010
★★★★★
My mother burned her fingers and part of her hand really severely on the stove. I would say it was 3rd degree, it looked pretty bad. We did the egg white remedy, but mainly, what helped keep the pain levels tolerable was keeping a tea bag in there for a good 3 hours, (she took a nap) and we also alternated between the tea bags and baking soda paste mixed with egg whites. By the end of the day, the burn was almost gone. It was incredible, you could barely see it, and the pain was 100% gone! My mom is skeptical of these cures, but she was impressed!!
DMSO
Posted by Pammy (Malibu, California, United States ) on 07/02/2010
★★★★★
One of the most amazing treatments I have ever used is DMSO for burns. I have had serious burns and minor burns.
Usually I just open the container and slap a big tablespoon of DMSO on the burn. It is best to do it right away. I keep it on for about 1/2 hr. I keep a jar in my kitchen for the possibilities of getting burned at the stove. It takes the pain away immediately and the pain never comes back. You can apply a little each day for awhile, but I have not found that necessary. I wish every one knew about this as burns can be so painful. And the burns heal up nicely.
It is either Canada or Alaska that they use DMSO in ER for burns. Blessings to all. Pammy
Cool Water
Posted by Msg (Somewhere, Europe) on 04/26/2010
★★★★★
interesting. in my house whenever anyone gets a burn on their hand, the remedy is to go wash dishes! the results are as you describe.
