Should I Do It?
- Thread starter Trip
- Start date
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
Nope, no bleeding expected. So far it looks like you're doing ok.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
Itching is normal. IF the gauze sticks, peel it off very slowly - try to rip as little skin as possible. You could also moisten the gauze a little with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to loosen it (right before you're going to remove it anyway, that is.)
It looks like a pretty deep burn, so you'll probably slough off thin layers for some time, kinda like a bad sunburn. It's best to let them come off at their own pace; as long as they're kept clean, the dead layers act as a de-facto second bandage, keeping dirt and bacteria from getting deeper into the wound. When a layer of skin actually seperates and starts to peel off, you can gently remove the loose parts, but I wouldn't agressively go after deeper layers.
It looks like a pretty deep burn, so you'll probably slough off thin layers for some time, kinda like a bad sunburn. It's best to let them come off at their own pace; as long as they're kept clean, the dead layers act as a de-facto second bandage, keeping dirt and bacteria from getting deeper into the wound. When a layer of skin actually seperates and starts to peel off, you can gently remove the loose parts, but I wouldn't agressively go after deeper layers.
Trip
Registered
I think I'll just keep replacing the gauze and just let the skin come off whenever it feels would be best. 
As for getting the gauze wet to loosen it...what happens if some of that liquid reaches the burn? Won't it hurt?
Anyway, i'm home sick from school today. I may go back, but until then i'll be working. Just thought I should share.
As for getting the gauze wet to loosen it...what happens if some of that liquid reaches the burn? Won't it hurt? Anyway, i'm home sick from school today. I may go back, but until then i'll be working. Just thought I should share.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
It might, a little. But then I'm assuming that tearing some skin off hurts a little, too.
If they're little bits of skin peeling off on the bandage, bits that might have soon peeled off anyway - no biggie, go for it.
Just be gentle with it; don't yank out big chunks (gag). This is not the kind of injury where you want to yank the bandage quickly to 'get it over with'.
You could also use sterile water, like distilled, or water you had boiled (THEN COOLED!).
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
It's probably just further layers of burnt flesh. Depending on how deep it is, it will slowly flake/peel away over the next few days or (more likely, based on the pix) a week or two.
Everyone's body slowly sheds skin all the time, and builds new healthy skin underneath, layer by layer. Now your body has to rebuild healthy skin under the layers that were burned, and as it does so, the burned layers will be shed.
Everyone's body slowly sheds skin all the time, and builds new healthy skin underneath, layer by layer. Now your body has to rebuild healthy skin under the layers that were burned, and as it does so, the burned layers will be shed.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
That's a fair question; webmd doesn't really say, does it...
If you've gone this long without an infection, your odds of getting one are much lower - very good.
Here's what I'd do - though please bear in mind I'm no doctor, and I really can't promise this is the best way to go:
If you have one gauze left, try cleaning the burn carefully, then bandaging it but NOT putting ointment on - and see if it still 'seeps'. That is, see if the bandage becomes damp with fluid from the wound. If so, then you probably ought to invest in a new package of bandages.
If you get no seepage, you can probably get away with just being gentle with it, and keeping it clean. Keep watching out for streaks that might mean an infection. It will probably bear a red mark for a long time, but you'll know it's more-or-less healed when the skin feels as firm and (relatively) smooth as the rest of your arm.
That's what I'd do, if I couldn't or didn't want to see a doctor.
If you've gone this long without an infection, your odds of getting one are much lower - very good.
Here's what I'd do - though please bear in mind I'm no doctor, and I really can't promise this is the best way to go:
If you have one gauze left, try cleaning the burn carefully, then bandaging it but NOT putting ointment on - and see if it still 'seeps'. That is, see if the bandage becomes damp with fluid from the wound. If so, then you probably ought to invest in a new package of bandages.
If you get no seepage, you can probably get away with just being gentle with it, and keeping it clean. Keep watching out for streaks that might mean an infection. It will probably bear a red mark for a long time, but you'll know it's more-or-less healed when the skin feels as firm and (relatively) smooth as the rest of your arm.
That's what I'd do, if I couldn't or didn't want to see a doctor.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
Another note or two ..
I have consulted 3 different first-aid and home-care books I have. Two of them basically say: bandage it loosely, get to a doctor.
The third (the Kaiser Permanente Healthwise guide) recommends antibiotic ointment only for burns with blisters (which you had). If the blisters are long gone, you can probably at least stop with the ointment now.
I have consulted 3 different first-aid and home-care books I have. Two of them basically say: bandage it loosely, get to a doctor.
The third (the Kaiser Permanente Healthwise guide) recommends antibiotic ointment only for burns with blisters (which you had). If the blisters are long gone, you can probably at least stop with the ointment now.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
Ointment is the antibiotic stuff mentioned earlier - like Neosporin?
If you don't know what cleaning means...
I'd say 'yes' go ahead with gauze and band-aids for a week.
If you don't know what cleaning means...
I'd say 'yes' go ahead with gauze and band-aids for a week.
Trip
Registered
I've decided I'll go ahead and buy more supplies tomorrow (not like I really have any other choice) so yea...some concerns just came up:
1. The color is scary now, it's a really dark red (not too dark) but like the color of a scab.
2. Can I just apply some neosporin to the gauze and then put the gauze on? Will it sting?
Thanks for all your help brian. If you weren't here I don't know what I'd do.
1. The color is scary now, it's a really dark red (not too dark) but like the color of a scab.
2. Can I just apply some neosporin to the gauze and then put the gauze on? Will it sting?
Thanks for all your help brian. If you weren't here I don't know what I'd do.
brianleahy
Colonel Panic
It may, in fact, be a lot like a scab, and in the days ahead may flake off slowly like a scab. You can put some neosporin on the gauze if you want, but at some point it will be a good idea to let the burn air-dry. If it has the texture of a scab (dry, somewhat crusty) then the neosporin is less important than just keeping it clean and protected.
Neosporin does not normally sting, it's basically vaseline with an antibiotic in it. I've used it on cuts & so forth, and its never stung me.
Make sure you regularly clean it gently; use some mild soap and cool water, and gently wipe with a washcloth. Rinse off the soap with cool water, then dry it by blotting (gently press a towel on it, don't rub).
EDIT: A great deal depends on how deep the burn is, which is determined by how hot the 'branding iron' was, and how long you had it against your skin. Apparently it was not hot enough to give you 3rd degree burns, which would have caused your skin to be black & crispy right afterward.
The damaged tissue will be slowly moved to the surface and shed. I think I've heard that normally, a human's skin is totally replaced every 4 weeks anyway. If I'm remembering right, that should, logically, be the maximum time it should take to shed all the damaged layers of skin.
Until then, you just need to prevent bacteria from growing in the area. Because you have dead cells in there, the badly burnt areas can no longer be protected by your immune system. That's why we keep it as clean & as sterile as possible.
Neosporin does not normally sting, it's basically vaseline with an antibiotic in it. I've used it on cuts & so forth, and its never stung me.
Make sure you regularly clean it gently; use some mild soap and cool water, and gently wipe with a washcloth. Rinse off the soap with cool water, then dry it by blotting (gently press a towel on it, don't rub).
EDIT: A great deal depends on how deep the burn is, which is determined by how hot the 'branding iron' was, and how long you had it against your skin. Apparently it was not hot enough to give you 3rd degree burns, which would have caused your skin to be black & crispy right afterward.
The damaged tissue will be slowly moved to the surface and shed. I think I've heard that normally, a human's skin is totally replaced every 4 weeks anyway. If I'm remembering right, that should, logically, be the maximum time it should take to shed all the damaged layers of skin.
Until then, you just need to prevent bacteria from growing in the area. Because you have dead cells in there, the badly burnt areas can no longer be protected by your immune system. That's why we keep it as clean & as sterile as possible.
Trip
Registered
SO...
Today I was changing my gauze and it turns out that all of the "scab" has fallen off and all that is left of the branding is some light red skin (the effect I was going for from the beginning!) I don't know if this means the healing process is complete, if the healing process stopped sooner than it should have, or if it's infected and i'm going to die of gang green in a few days.
Pictures will be up tomorrow for anybody interested (although I know nobody is).
Today I was changing my gauze and it turns out that all of the "scab" has fallen off and all that is left of the branding is some light red skin (the effect I was going for from the beginning!) I don't know if this means the healing process is complete, if the healing process stopped sooner than it should have, or if it's infected and i'm going to die of gang green in a few days.
Pictures will be up tomorrow for anybody interested (although I know nobody is).
