What do you do the second after you burn yourself on the saute pan or your grill? (Note: We didn't ask what you say. We want to know what you do).
Leave the butter in the fridge; the best thing you can do is quickly put ice water on it (not ice; ice water). This slows down the rush of inflammatory cells that create blistering and increase the damage of the burn. By the way, if it hurts, that's good. It means you didn't fry the full thickness of your skin. A deep burn kills nerves, so you don't actually feel it.
Next, clean the area with soap and water to remove any dirt and bacteria. Apply a sterile moisturizer, like bacytracyn or Neosporin, twice a day, and don't pop any blisters. They're the ideal sterile biologic dressing over the new skin that's quickly growing over the injured area. Mess with Mother Nature's protective covering, and scarring will be worse. Baby the burn a bit by covering it with fine gauze.
Call the doc if the burn is on your hands, face or genitals (we won't ask) and is bigger than a nickel. She may want to treat it with an antibiotic cream called Silvadene that kills bacteria and keeps the burn moist.
