First Aid on burns to aid the healing process

Aid the healing process of burns with the correct treatment

 

Thanks to Krissie Styles for inviting me to a Children’s Burns Trust seminar and for the important information she shared with us all.

 

 

First Aid on burns is essential for children as it makes a huge difference to the healing process preventing operations or scarring further down the line.

• It is estimated that on average 110 children per day are seen in emergency departments with burn injuries – 46 as a result of a hot cup of tea or coffee spill
• The majority of burn injuries occurring to children are between 3 and 6pm
• The most commonplace of injury for children is in the home – 49% of whom are burnt in the kitchen
• The average cost to the NHS for a major burn is £168,155
• Burn cooling is critical in the initial first aid response to injury – applying cool running water for 20 minutes is considered best practice

 

The last bullet point is the most important information I have come across this year.

The difference in the healing rate and long-term effect of a burn is dramatically reduced if this point is ALWAYS followed.

Within my role as a Medical Tattooist, I see patients that are at the other end of the healing journey. They have had the burn/scald when they were younger, they had the cup of tea, coffee or hot water spilled on them, and they are living with the consequences in the form of a scar or a skin graft.

Medical Tattooing can help. It can help renew confidence and reduce the visibility of the skin graft or scar. However, with the information I learned during the webinar below we are all in a position to reduce the number of burns injuries coming through my door. Natural healing gives a far better result than any treatment.

 

We are all in a position to reduce the number of burns injuries coming through my door. Natural healing gives a far better result than any treatment.

However, if you need medical tattooing for skin grafts or burn scars here is some information to help you:

If your scar or graft is lighter than the surrounding skin and fully healed, medically certified pigment can be added into the dermal layer of the skin to add colour. The pigment is added with a particular formation of needles that penetrate the skin leaving the coloured pigment. This happens over a number of treatments (usually 2-4), with approximately 8 weeks in between treatments. Your skin tone is matched as accurately as possible, sometimes this can look like a perfect match, and other times there will be a colour difference, but it will be dramatically reduced in visibility. It WILL NOT get rid of the scar or the graft, and you, knowing its there, may always be able to see it. The expectation is that we reduce the visible impact of it, so that when glancing in a mirror, or someone else is looking at you, it is not instantly obvious.

The treatment is a semi-permanent one; the colour will fade over the years and Colour Boosts are needed to keep the area as natural and blended as possible. As pigments fade, they can slightly change tones due to the different primary colours fading at different rates. This is a natural process with pigments and denotes that it is time for a Colour Boost.

Scarring and Skin grafts are better when they are kept out of the sun and UV rays. This is also better for Medical Tattooing as UV rays can fade pigment, so for better colour retention a Sun Protection Factor 50 is advisable daily.

Applying an SPF 50 on a hot day on children and adults is also another way to stop sunburn. These important HOME FIRST AID tips are imperative for us all to follow and talk about. The difference we can make by sharing this information is immeasurable. So please read and SHARE.

I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, so please feel free to get in touch at makeup@raedenman.co.uk

 

If you would like to book a free-of-charge phone call or a full medical consultation please use this direct link to read the FAQ’s and book your appointment online with Rae Denman.