If you burn your hand on a pan of cookies, spend too much time in the sun, or spill hot coffee on your lap, burns are certainly unpleasant. Unluckily, burns are one of the most common household injuries. The level of severity categorizes burns. First and second degree are less severe burns and often affect the outer layer of the skin. While third and fourth degrees are considered major cases and should be treated in a hospital. Read on to learn the remedies of first and second-degree burns inclusive of coconut oil.
Does coconut oil help burnt skin?
How to use coconut oil for burns ?
Coconut oil is one of the top home remedies for burns. It is frequently the first choice for people in coconut cultivating countries to treat such conditions. Coconut oil has vital properties that make it effective for not only treating burns but also preventing infections, moisturizing the skin, speeding up the healing process and reducing scarring or marks from burns.
Coconut oil is recommended as a remedy for first-degree burns and some second-degree burns, which are inclusive of water burns, minor chemical burns, acid burns, sunburns and radiation burns. As discussed earlier, third and fourth-degree burns are life-threatening and should be treated in official burn units by experts. Coconut oil may be used after this regular medical treatment for third-degree burns to help reduce scarring, but it should not be used as a first response treatment to such severe injuries, which frequently result from being in a fire or experiencing severe chemical burns.
Benefits of coconut oil for burns
Coconut oil has numerous benefits for people suffering from burns of varying types and severity. This is inclusive protecting against infections, increasing the rate of healing, soothing pain and swelling, keeping the area moisturized and cool and reducing scarring.
Coconut oil relieves burning pain: Coconut oil is analgesic and has anti-inflammatory effects which can help to soothe the and pain caused by burns of all kinds. This is chiefly the result of the Vitamin E found in the coconut oil.
Coconut oil protects immune system after burns: The rich content of medium chain fatty acids found in this oil has antibacterial and antiseptic qualities that can protect the exposed burns from the many pathogens, irritants, and pollutants from the external environment. One of the most significant risk factors that complicate burns is the risk of infection; applying coconut oil can markedly reduce susceptibility to these dangerous infections.
Use coconut oil to speed up healing: coconut oils can penetrate deeply and increase the rate of growth and healing of damaged skin cells. The vitamins in coconut oil can reduce oxidative stress in these already damage cells and notably speed the healing process, enhancing quick recovery. Coconut oil encourages the flow of blood to the burned regions, which bring oxygen and nutrients where they are required most.
Coconut oil moisturizes burnt surface: Coconut oil is known to infiltrate the skin deeply, making it particularly useful for second-degree burns and rope burns, which often peel off many layers of skin. By delivering moisture to these exposed regions, it can prevent dryness and the accompanying pain.
Use coconut oil to reduce burn scarring: Coconut oil is high in antioxidant vitamins and polyphenolic compounds, which can promote collagen cross-linking and strengthen the dermal tissue to enhance growth and healing. It can reduce the appearance of scarring, which so often results from burns. While it may not prevent scarring, coconut oil can reduce the scarring and leave the new skin with full elasticity. Coconut oil can numb the injury and itching. It also cures the wound and the itch.
How to use coconut oil for burns?
Step 1: Before using coconut oil to treat a burn; seek medical attention. It is always recommended to get medical care especially if you are not sure which degree the burn is.
Step 2: Smear gentle cool water to the affected area. If soaps or cleaning agents cause pain, refrain from use until the next round of coconut oil antifungal application. The cold water opens up slows down inflammation and starts to end the burning process and offer a little relief.
Step 3: Smear organic coconut to the affected area, use a sterile pad. Repeat as often as necessary to ease the symptoms. Do the treatment for more than twice in a day to properly treat the infected area.
Keep applying the coconut oil even after the burn has been cured, to prevent scarring. You can also use essential oils in combination with the base oil to further provide healing and reduce inflammation. Lavender oil and amounts of tea oil are great, as these are disinfectant in nature.
What should be applied to burns?
What to put on a burn?
Minor burns can be treated with herbs at home, but you should never apply a herb to a severe burn. Never apply herbs to an open wound.
- You can use herbs as dried extracts- capsules, powders or teas.
- Not unless it is indicated otherwise make teas with one teaspoonful, herb every cup of hot water.
- Steep sealed five to ten minutes for leaf or flowers, and ten to twenty minutes for roots.
- Drink two to four cups per day. These herbs may be applied topically to minor burns.
- Aloe vera as a cream; Apply externally to the burned region. Apply three to four times daily as necessary, for soothing and healing.
- Calendula for burns; calendula as an ointment or tea applied topically. To make tea from the tincture, use half a teaspoon, diluted in a quarter cup water. You might steep one teaspoon of flowers in one cup of boiling water for fifteen minutes, then strain and cool. When using calendula topically test the skin first for any allergic reaction.
- Propolis; It is a resin created by bees to construct their hives, and has been used historically to treat skin wounds. If you use propolis for a mild burn, first test the skin for any reaction. Stay away from propolis if you are allergic to bee products or salicylates.
Home remedies for burns
Minor burns take around a week or two to heal entirely and usually do not cause scarring. Burn remedy aims to reduce pain, prevent infections, and make the skin heal faster.
Cool water
In case of to do in case of a mild burn is run cool water and not cold water for about twenty minutes. Then wash the burned region with mild soap and water.
Cool compresses
Place a cool compress, or clean wet cloth over the burn area helps relieve pain and swelling. You can apply the compress in five to fifteen-minute intervals. Do not use excessive cold compress because they may irritate the burn more.
Antibiotic ointments
Antibiotic ointments and creams help prevent infections. Apply an antibacterial ointment to the burn and cover with cling film or a sterile or cloth.
Aloe vera for burns
Aloe vera is frequently known as the burn plant. Aloe vera is effective in healing both first and second degrees burns. Aloe is anti-inflammatory, promotes circulation, and hinders the growth of bacteria. Smear a layer of pure aloe vera gel taken from the leaf of an aloe vera plant directly to the affected area. If you purchase aloe vera in a store, ensure it has a high percentage of aloe vera and avoids products that have additives, especially coloring and perfumes.
Honey
Honey can heal a minor burn when applied topically. Honey is an anti-inflammatory and naturally antibacterial and antifungal product.
Do not expose the burn to the sun
Avoid exposing the burn to direct sunlight. The burned skin is sensitive to the sun. Keep it covered with clothing.
Medications for burns
- Burn treatment depends on the degree type of burn. First-degree burns typically are treated with skin care products like aloe vera cream or an antibiotic ointment and pain medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol).
- Antimicrobial creams like silver sulfadiazine, mafenide, silver nitrate, and povidone-iodine, are used to minimize the risk of infection. Bacitracin may be utilized for first-degree burns. Paraffin gauzes are great for superficial burns while silver-based dressings are recommended for a deeper burn.
- Antibiotics (such as oxacillin, and gentamicin) are used to cure an infection. They will also possibly be used if the possibility of developing a disease is high.
- Prescription painkillers (codeine, morphine, or meperidine) are used for a severe burn.
- To decrease wound healing time, for severe burns use Anabolic steroids, such as oxandrolone.
- The treatment of third-degree burns may need the procedure of skin grafting or the use of synthetic skin. Severe burns covering large parts of the body may need more intensive treatments such as intravenous (IV) antibiotics to reduce infection or IV fluids to replace fluids lost when the skin was burned.
Nutrition and dietary supplements for burns
- Take a multivitamin daily, comprising of the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B- vitamins and minerals like magnesium, zinc, and selenium.
- Take Omega-3 fatty acids, such as fish oil to help reduce swelling, and for and resilience to diseases. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include; salmon and halibut. However, you may require a supplement so that you have a higher dosage. Omega-3 fatty acids can interact with blood-thinning medicines such as Coumadin and aspirin and may reduce clotting period.
- Vitamin C 1,000 mg, taken two tablets six times in a day helps to heal by improving new tissue growth. Take a lower dosage if you develop diarrhea . Use vitamin C only under a doctor's recommendation if you have cancer, certain blood iron disorders, kidney stones, diabetes, and a metabolic deficiency.
- Do not take caffeine and other stimulants, alcohol, and tobacco.
- Take six to eight glasses of filtered water daily
Coconut oil or aloe vera for burns
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties to help treat irritated skin. Besides aloe vera is also an antibacterial substance that gets rid of possible infections to get wounds on the way to heal soon. To treat a burn using aloe vera you will need aloe vera gel freshly extracted from aloe vera leaves. Pluck a meaty leaf from the aloe vera plant and cut the leaf open and extract the gel from it. Then collect the aloe vera gel extracted and apply it on your burns gently till the skin absorbs it. Aloe vera is cooling and soothing on the skin. It speeds the healing procedure.
You can also combine coconut oil and aloe vera to treat a burn. You will require half a cup of coconut oil and a similar portion of aloe vera gel. Then follow the following steps:
Step one: Pour coconut oil into a bowl of aloe vera and whisk it until you get a foamy consistency.
Step two: Pour it into a bottle and apply it to the affected regions of the skin such as a moisturizer. Allow it to rest. Use this remedy every day the same way you use a moisturizer. A combination of aloe vera and coconut oil works because they both create an antifungal substance and thus heals the skin burns and irritations naturally. The mixture is soothing to the skin and hydrates it.
