Burn Gels, Dressings and Burn Blankets

There are several kinds and degrees of burns. Minor burns can be treated by home first aid, while more serious burns should receive professional medical attention. Before using any first aid product you need to determine the severity of the burn.

If the skin is black, brown, white or yellow, seek professional medical help immediately; these colors indicate third or even fourth degree burns. A second degree burn is red, while a first degree burn is usually pink. You can receive serious burns from UV rays in sunlight.

Burn specialists also assess burns based on the body size area affected. A first degree burn over a large area of the body may be termed moderately serious by a specialist and may warrant medical attention.

Many first aid guides advise treating burns with cold water immediately, to reduce burning.

Burn Gels
If you are treating a minor burn, the recommended product is burn gels. Gels are superior to sprays and creams, which are usually oil based; the oil in these products traps in the heat of the burn, making it worse.

Gels can reduce the heat of minor first degree burns (such as light household burns or those caused by overexposure to the sun). See our page on sunburn first aid. Burn gels are also easy to wash off. Gels can come packaged in handi-packs, spray form or bottles.

Burn dressings
We are hesitant to recommend any product in this area. If you have a serious burn, get proper medical attention; do not attempt to dress the wound yourself. You may cause more damage if the dressing isnt sterilized or if it sticks to your skin. You may use a burn dressing if you have first or second degree burn that has been properly cleaned and dried.

Burn blankets
If you work in an area where severe burns are a known hazard, you should be certain to have several burn blankets on site. Burn blankets are heat resistant, usually constructed with gel or other cooling chemicals designed to withstand intense heat (up to 3500F). These can be used in rescue situations. The burn blanket can double as a cover, while the victim is transported to hospital. Note that some sources caution against this. Blankets may be difficult to remove from the victim, if the burn wounds are open or severe.

Among others, here are some burns requiring prompt professional attention:

• chemical burns
• respiratory burns that injure the lungs