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Burns & Burn First Aid

Burns from heat, hot liquids, the sun, chemicals or electricity. Most small burns heal at home with quick first aid — cool running water and a clean, loose cover — but large, deep, electrical and chemical burns, and burns in babies and older adults, need emergency care.

Call 911 for a serious burn. Call 911 or your local emergency number if:

A deep burn that goes all the way around an arm, leg or the chest is especially dangerous: as the burned skin hardens it can get too tight, cutting off blood flow or making it hard to breathe (Merck Manual).

See a provider right away if a burn shows signs of infection: drainage or pus, fever, increasing pain, red streaks spreading from the burn, or swollen lymph nodes (MedlinePlus). Also get care for signs of dehydration (less urine, dizziness, headache, nausea, thirst), or if a minor burn still hurts after 48 hours (MedlinePlus). Rarely, an infection can lead to sepsis, the body’s extreme response to an infection and a life-threatening medical emergency; signs include confusion, clammy or sweaty skin, extreme pain, fever or shivering, a high heart rate or weak pulse, and shortness of breath (CDC). If someone seems very ill, confused or is struggling to breathe, call 911.

What is a burn?

A burn is damage to the body’s tissues caused by heat, chemicals, electricity, sunlight or radiation (MedlinePlus, NIGMS). Scalds from hot liquids and steam, building fires, and flammable liquids and gases are the most common causes; breathing in smoke can also injure the airways and lungs (MedlinePlus). Because a burn breaks the skin’s protective barrier, it can become infected (MedlinePlus).

How deep is it? Burn degrees

Doctors describe burns by how deep they go and how much of the body they cover (NIGMS). Today the depths are usually called superficial, partial thickness and full thickness, which used to be called first-, second- and third-degree burns (MedlinePlus, Merck Manual):

How much it hurts is not a good guide — the most serious burns can be painless (MedlinePlus), and deep burns can look worse over the first hours or days (Merck Manual). A person can have several depths of burn at once (MedlinePlus). For size, a person’s own palm is roughly 1% of their body surface (American Burn Association).

How common are burns?

The American Burn Association reports CDC survey figures of 398,000 fire- or burn-related injuries in 2021, along with 252,000 injuries from hot objects or substances; national hospital data show about 29,165 burn admissions a year (American Burn Association). In burn-center admissions from 2020 to 2024, 61% of the injuries happened at a private residence (American Burn Association). A CDC podcast reports that every day, 435 children and teens aged 0 to 19 are treated in emergency rooms for burns (CDC).

Who is most at risk?

How burns heal, and scarring

A superficial burn usually heals in 3 to 5 days without a scar; a shallow partial-thickness burn in about 2 weeks; deeper burns may need medical care and can scar (American Burn Association). Small burns and scalds often take around 2 weeks to heal (NHS). Even a small full-thickness burn takes at least three weeks, and large ones can take a couple of years to heal completely (Cleveland Clinic).

Burns that heal in less than 14 days generally don’t scar; burns that take longer are at higher risk of problem scars (MSKTC). Raised (hypertrophic) scars are the most common complication of a burn. Scarring usually develops in the first few months, peaks around 6 months and may improve over 12 to 18 months (MSKTC). Scar tissue shrinks as it heals, and over a joint this can cause a contracture that limits movement (Merck Manual, MedlinePlus). Healed skin can also be itchy, extra sensitive to heat, cold and sunlight, and lighter or darker than before (American Burn Association, MedlinePlus, Cleveland Clinic). Recovery is emotional too — see Wellness coaching below.

Side by side

Six approaches compared

For every condition we look at the same six approaches: what each involves, what it typically costs, and what a patient can realistically expect.

ApproachWhat it involves Estimated costWhat to expect
Conventional medicine (AMA) Quick first aid (cool running water, a clean loose cover), over-the-counter pain relief, home wound care and a tetanus check for minor burns; emergency and burn-center care for serious burns, including wound cleaning, dressings, fluids, skin grafts and rehabilitation. Minor burns are mostly cared for at home with basic first-aid supplies; cost estimate being researched. Emergency, burn-center and surgery costs: cost estimate being researched. Superficial burns usually heal in days and shallow partial-thickness burns in about two weeks, without scarring. Deep burns can take weeks to years, often need skin grafts, and may scar.
Chiropractic Being researched — coming soon.
Acupuncture Being researched — coming soon.
Herbal medicine Aloe vera gel on small, minor burns once they have cooled; medical-grade honey dressings, chosen and applied by the care team. No kitchen remedies on burns. Cost estimate being researched. Aloe may speed healing of minor burns, though trials are small and mixed on pain. Honey dressings have good evidence for healing partial-thickness burns faster than some conventional dressings. Neither replaces emergency care.
Massage therapy Scar massage during rehabilitation, only on fully healed skin, usually taught by the burn or therapy team and combined with moisturizing and stretching. Cost estimate being researched. Reviews of mostly small, lower-quality studies suggest it may ease scar pain and itch and soften or thin raised scars. Never massage open or unhealed skin.
MBHA Wellness Coach Home safety: water heater at 120°F, a “no-kid zone” in the kitchen, working smoke alarms and an escape plan, sun protection, caring for healing skin, and help finding emotional and peer support. Smoke alarms start at about $6, and some fire departments offer them free or at reduced price. MBHA coaching cost estimate being researched. Most burns happen at home, and simple daily habits lower the risk. Coaching works alongside the care team, never instead of it.

Approach 1 of 6

Conventional medicine (AMA)

Treatment depends on the cause of the burn, how deep it is and how much of the body it covers (MedlinePlus). Most small, shallow burns can be cared for at home; deep, large and special-area burns need emergency and often specialist care (American Burn Association). Start with first aid — see First aid step by step below.

1. Pain relief for minor burns

Over-the-counter acetaminophen (paracetamol) or ibuprofen can ease pain and swelling (MedlinePlus, American Burn Association, NHS). Don’t give aspirin to anyone under 19 (MedlinePlus). Follow the label or ask a pharmacist — we don’t list doses here.

2. Caring for a minor burn at home

3. Check your tetanus shot

Make sure the person is up to date on tetanus immunization (MedlinePlus). CDC guidance for clinicians counts burns among the “dirty or major” wounds: for someone who has had the full tetanus vaccine series, a booster is recommended if the last dose was 5 or more years ago, and anyone whose history is unknown or incomplete should be vaccinated (CDC). If you can’t remember your last shot, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. Medical treatment for serious burns

Antibiotic creams can prevent or treat infection; more serious burns may need the wound cleaned, the skin replaced, and extra fluids and nutrition (MedlinePlus). In the hospital, care can include breathing support for airway burns, fluids through a vein, pain medicines, ointments or creams, and a tetanus shot if needed (MedlinePlus). A common prescription cream for second-degree burns is silver sulfadiazine (Cleveland Clinic). Your care team may also choose foam, honey or silver dressings that can stay on longer (American Burn Association). When hardened burned skin wraps all the way around a limb or the chest, surgeons may cut it open to restore blood flow or breathing (an escharotomy) (Merck Manual).

5. Burn centers and when to be referred

Burn centers bring surgeons, nurses, therapists and counselors together, from emergency care through rehabilitation (American Burn Association). The American Burn Association’s referral guidelines, written to help clinicians (not for self-assessment), recommend burn-center consultation for, among others (American Burn Association):

  • partial-thickness burns covering 10% or more of the body;
  • deep partial- or full-thickness burns of the face, hands, feet, genitals, the area between the legs, or over any joint;
  • any burn that may be deep, of any size;
  • suspected smoke or inhalation injury;
  • all chemical injuries and all high-voltage electrical injuries, with consultation and follow-up considered for low-voltage ones;
  • people who also have other injuries or health conditions; and children (14 or under, or under 30 kg) — the ABA notes that all children’s burns may benefit from referral.

The ABA has an online directory to find a verified burn center near you (American Burn Association).

6. Skin grafts

When a burn is too deep to heal on its own, surgeons remove the dead tissue and cover the area with healthy skin from another part of the body (a donor site), often the thigh or back. Donor sites usually heal in about two weeks (American Burn Association, American Burn Association). Grafts can be a thin layer of skin, the full skin thickness (for smaller areas such as the face or hands), or “meshed” to stretch over a larger area; skin from a donor or animal can give temporary cover (American Burn Association, Merck Manual).

7. Rehabilitation and scar care

Physical and occupational therapy help people regain movement, strength and everyday skills (American Burn Association). Stretching starts early and splints may hold joints in positions that help prevent contractures (Merck Manual). Moving matters: people can lose up to 1% of muscle mass for each day in bed (American Burn Association). For raised scars, the team may suggest pressure garments, silicone gel sheets, massage or laser treatment (American Burn Association, MSKTC). No single treatment is ideal, so scar care is a long-term plan made with your team (MSKTC).

8. Sunburn

Get out of the sun, preferably indoors, as soon as you notice it (American Academy of Dermatology). Then:

Even when the redness fades, sun damage to skin cells is often permanent and raises the risk of skin cancer (MedlinePlus, American Academy of Dermatology).

What it costs

Minor burns are usually cared for at home with first-aid supplies and over-the-counter pain relief; MBHA cost estimate being researched. Emergency care, burn-center stays, skin grafts and rehabilitation: cost estimate being researched.

How well it works — what to expect

Superficial and some partial-thickness burns heal in days to weeks without scarring; deeper burns take weeks, usually scar, and most need skin grafts (Merck Manual). The outcome depends on the type, size and place of the burn (MedlinePlus).

Find a medical doctor in our directory

Approach 4 of 6

Herbal medicine

Two natural products have real research behind them for burns: aloe vera gel and medical-grade honey. Neither replaces first aid or emergency care.

No kitchen remedies. Don’t put butter, oils, ice or any household remedy on a severe burn (MedlinePlus). Butter, oils and ointments can trap heat in the skin (American Burn Association), and the NHS says not to put creams, oils or butter on burns or scalds (NHS). Don’t put ointments, salves or other household remedies on a chemical burn, or try to neutralize the chemical without advice from Poison Control or a provider (MedlinePlus).

Aloe vera gel

  • NCCIH says clinical research suggests aloe gel on the skin may speed burn healing and reduce burn-related pain. Applied to the skin it is generally well tolerated, though burning, itching, rash and eczema have occasionally been reported (NCCIH).
  • A 2024 review of 9 randomized trials found aloe shortened healing time for second-degree burns compared with other creams, without more infections; whether it eases pain was uncertain (review, 2024). An earlier 2007 review of 4 studies also leaned in aloe’s favor but said product differences made firm conclusions hard (review, 2007).
  • The American Burn Association suggests aloe vera lotion to soothe small, minor burns (American Burn Association), and dermatologists suggest a moisturizer with aloe for sunburn (American Academy of Dermatology). Use it only after the burn has been cooled, and not on severe burns, where creams and household remedies should not be used (MedlinePlus).
  • This is about aloe on the skin. Aloe taken by mouth has separate risks, and some herbs and medicines interact in harmful ways, so talk with your provider if you take any medicine (NCCIH).

Medical-grade honey dressings

The 2015 Cochrane review of honey for wounds included 11 trials in burns (Cochrane review). It found:

  • High-quality evidence (2 trials, 992 people) that honey dressings heal partial-thickness burns more quickly than conventional dressings — by about 4.7 days on average.
  • Compared with silver sulfadiazine cream, high-quality evidence of no difference in healing within 6 weeks, but fewer side effects with honey.
  • Low-quality evidence from one small trial that early surgery and grafting healed partial- and full-thickness burns faster than honey followed by grafting when needed.

(Cochrane review) Honey dressings are a clinical treatment: your burn team may choose a honey dressing along with foam or silver options (American Burn Association). Don’t put kitchen honey on a burn. We don’t list doses or products here.

Approach 5 of 6

Massage therapy

Only on healed skin. Scar massage belongs to the stage after the skin has closed, and while scars are fragile it should be gentle, with more pressure added as they mature (American Burn Association, MSKTC). Don’t massage open wounds or areas that haven’t healed, and ask your burn or therapy team before you start, especially over grafts (American Burn Association).

Scar massage is used in burn units around the world (review, 2018) and is one of the scar treatments burn teams may suggest (American Burn Association). Burn-recovery fact sheets say massage can soften and desensitize scars and, combined with stretching, make them looser and more comfortable; massaging in moisturizer can also ease itching and make stretching easier (MSKTC). Firm touch or skin massage may help with itch (American Burn Association).

What the research says

  • A 2018 review of 8 publications (258 people) found preliminary evidence that scar massage may reduce scar height, pain, itch and depression in raised burn scars, but said the evidence was of poor quality (review, 2018).
  • A 2023 meta-analysis of 7 studies (420 people) found scar massage reduced pain, itch and anxiety and slightly reduced scar thickness, with no clear effect on depression (review, 2023).
  • A 2024 review of 10 studies found 9 showed improvement with different massage techniques, and called for a large randomized trial (review, 2024).

So the signs are encouraging but the studies are mostly small. Learn the technique from your burn therapist. Massage therapy is generally low risk, but rare serious problems such as nerve injury or blood clots have been reported, more often with vigorous techniques or in older people (NCCIH).

Find a massage therapist in our directory

Approach 6 of 6

MBHA Wellness Coach

More than half of burns that land people in a burn center happen at home (American Burn Association). An MBHA Wellness Coach can help a family make a few lasting changes, and support recovery after a burn.

Turn down the water heater

Kitchen safety

Smoke alarms and an escape plan

Chemicals and electricity

  • Store chemicals out of children’s reach, ideally locked, in their original labeled containers, and never mix products such as ammonia and bleach (MedlinePlus).
  • Use safety plugs in outlets, keep cords out of children’s reach, and don’t use electrical appliances while wet (MedlinePlus).

Sun protection

Seek shade, wear long sleeves and pants, a hat with a brim all the way around and UV-blocking sunglasses, and use a broad-spectrum sunscreen — the CDC says SPF 15 or higher, reapplied after 2 hours outside and after swimming, sweating or toweling off; UV rays are strongest from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CDC). Dermatologists recommend a broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher (American Academy of Dermatology). Healed burns and grafts burn and discolor easily for months or years, so burn teams advise SPF 30 or higher, protective clothing and no tanning beds (American Burn Association).

Caring for healing skin

Emotional recovery and support

Feeling sad, anxious, irritable or overwhelmed after a burn is common, for survivors and for families. If these feelings last more than a few weeks or make daily life harder, a mental health professional can help; counseling, trauma-focused therapy and peer support are all options (American Burn Association).

A coach can help you put these habits in place and find support, but never replaces the burn team — and for any serious burn, call 911 first.

Another approach

First aid step by step

Quick, simple first aid makes a difference. If the burn is serious (see the box at the top of this page), call 911 first (MedlinePlus).

Heat burns and scalds

  1. Stop the burning. Move away from the heat source (American Burn Association). If clothes are on fire: stop, drop and roll, or wrap the person in a thick coat, rug or blanket (MedlinePlus).
  2. Cool it with cool running water — not ice or ice water (MedlinePlus, American Burn Association). How long? The NHS says 20 minutes, as soon as possible and within 3 hours (NHS); the American Burn Association says at least 5 minutes for minor burns and 10 to 20 minutes for scalds (American Burn Association, American Burn Association); MedlinePlus says 5 to 30 minutes (MedlinePlus). No running water? Cool bottled water or a wet towel will do (NHS). For a large, severe burn, don’t put the person in cold water — it can cause shock; keep them covered and warm while help comes (MedlinePlus).
  3. Remove jewelry, watches and tight or hot clothing near the burn before it swells — but leave anything stuck to the skin (American Burn Association, NHS, MedlinePlus).
  4. Cover it loosely with sterile gauze, a clean non-stick dressing or a clean cloth (American Burn Association, American Burn Association). The NHS suggests laying cling film over the burn, not wrapping it around (NHS). Separate burned fingers or toes with dry, non-stick dressings, and raise a burned limb above the heart (MedlinePlus).
  5. Ease the pain with over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen for a minor burn (American Burn Association).

Don’t: use ice, butter, oils or household remedies; break blisters; breathe or cough on the burn; or give anything by mouth to someone with a severe burn (MedlinePlus, American Burn Association).

Chemical burns

  1. Protect yourself from the chemical, and move the person away from it. Brush off any dry chemical, and remove contaminated clothing and jewelry (MedlinePlus).
  2. Flush the skin with cool running water for 15 minutes or more (MedlinePlus). A few chemicals — dry lime (quicklime) and certain metals such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and lithium — are exceptions to flushing (MedlinePlus); call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or 911 for advice.
  3. If a chemical gets in the eyes, flush them with running water for at least 15 minutes and get medical help right away (MedlinePlus).
  4. Don’t try to neutralize the chemical without advice from Poison Control or a provider (MedlinePlus). Call 911 for chemical burns (MedlinePlus).

Electrical burns

  1. Don’t touch the person while they may still be touching the source of electricity (MedlinePlus).
  2. If it’s safe, turn the power off at the source — unplug the cord or switch off the circuit breaker or fuse; switching off the appliance may not be enough. Stay at least 20 feet away from anyone touching high-voltage lines until the power is off (MedlinePlus).
  3. Call 911. If the power can’t be turned off, use something dry that doesn’t conduct electricity, such as a broom or a rubber doormat, to push the person away from the source — never anything wet or metal (MedlinePlus).
  4. Once they are clear, check breathing and pulse and start CPR if needed. Rinse burns with cool running water and stay with the person until help arrives (MedlinePlus).

Sunburn

Get out of the sun, cool the skin with cool baths or showers, moisturize, drink extra water and leave blisters alone (American Academy of Dermatology). See Conventional medicine above for when to call a provider.

Still being researched: Chiropractic, Acupuncture. We add each approach once its costs and results are sourced. Are you a practitioner with experience treating Burns & Burn First Aid? Tell us.

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Sources

This page is for education only and is not medical advice. Costs are typical U.S. ranges and estimates; yours will depend on your provider, location and insurance. Talk with your doctor before starting, stopping or combining any treatment. In an emergency, call 911. See our disclaimer.

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