Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Diagnose your burn
• Part 2 of 4: Treat minor burns immediately
• Part 3 of 4: Changing the dressing
• Part 4 of 4: Let the burn heal
• Tips
• Warnings

Honey has been used to treat burns and other injuries for hundreds of years. Honey is an antioxidant and has antibacterial properties that give it a healing effect. When honey is applied to a burn, it keeps the wound moist, allows it to heal quickly and minimizes scarring. Use honey to treat first-degree burns and minor second-degree burns quickly and naturally.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Diagnose your burn

1. Recognize a first degree burn. Burns can develop quite easily. You can get burned by anything hot, fire, the sun, electricity, boiling liquids such as water, sauces and other foods, and chemicals. A first degree burn is the least serious, it only damages the top layers of your skin.
   • A first degree burn will be red and painful. It turns white when you press it.
   • These types of burns usually heal within 3-6 days. The skin may flake as it heals. There is usually little or no scarring.
2. Recognize a second degree burn. A second degree burn is more serious than a first degree burn. The deeper layers of the skin are damaged. The skin will be red or blotchy, swollen and very painful. Blisters may appear.
   • These types of burns usually heal within 2-3 weeks. You can end up with scarring.
   • If your burn is larger than an inch, see your doctor right away.
3. Know what a third degree burn looks like. Third degree burns are the deepest and most serious burns. It damages all layers of the skin. The skin can be whitish (charred) or black.
   • Require third degree burns immediate medical care. Do not attempt to treat these types of burns yourself.
   • Third degree burns are usually not painful because the nerves are also damaged.
   • These burns can take months to heal and can scar as they heal.

Part 2 of 4: Treat minor burns immediately

1. Run cold water over the burn. Immediately after the burn, use cold, running water to cool the area to a comfortable level. Do this for at least 5 minutes.
   • Second degree burns should be refrigerated for at least 15 minutes.
   • Do not put ice on the burnt area.
2. Pour medical honey over the burnt area. Use medical honey to cover the entire burnt area down to the surrounding undamaged tissue. Don't be skimpy with the honey. You want to have a nice thick layer of honey on the wound. Depending on where the burn is located, apply a layer about half a cm thick.
   • If possible, use medicinal honey. Examples of medicinal honey are manuka honey from New Zealand and Medi honey from Germany.
   • If you can't find medicinal honey, organic, unfiltered raw honey is a good choice. Do not use regular honey from the supermarket.
   • Do not use rhododendron-based honey. This may contain toxins known as grayanotoxins and is also referred to as “mad honey” because it has been reported to cause dizziness and hallucinations.
3. Spread the honey. Use a thin plastic bag, sandwich bag, or wooden popsicle stick to gently spread the honey over the burned area and surrounding skin.
4. Bandage the burned area. Use a clean, dry gauze bandage or a non-adhesive bandage such as Telfa. Cover the burnt area completely with bandage. Hold it in place with medical tape.
5. Get immediate medical attention for major burns. If you have a major second degree burn (greater than an inch), or if you have a third degree burn, get medical attention right away.
   • For second-degree burns, you should still cool the burn with cold, running water for 15 minutes or until relief is available.
6. Get immediate medical attention for electrical, chemical, and radiation burns. All electrical, chemical, and radiation burns (except minor sunburn) should be treated by medical experts as soon as possible.
   • A chemical burn should be rinsed off with cold, running water for at least 5 minutes. Get immediate medical attention.

Part 3 of 4: Changing the dressing

1. Wash your hands. Make sure you have clean hands before changing the bandage on your burn. Ask someone to help you if your hand is burned. First, have them wash their hands with soap and water.
2. Gently remove the bandage. If there is loose skin adhering to the dressing, let it peel away from the burned skin. Studies have shown that honey helps loosen skin more easily and without pain, so this should be relatively easy to do.
   • Discard the old dressing.
3. Check for infection. Examine the burn for signs of infection. This could be:
   • Pus or discharge
   • Swellings that are filled with everything except clear fluid (if blisters have formed on the skin, leave the blister intact)
   • Reddish streaks running from the injury
   • Fever
4. Apply antibiotic ointment if desired. If you think you have an infection, but it seems minor, you can use a triple antibiotic ointment or cream on it, although the honey usually prevents infections.
   • If you think you have a more serious infection (for example, because you have a fever or see red streaks), contact your doctor immediately.
5. Do not remove tissue from the burn. Removing tissue (loose skin) from the burned area can cause further damage such as scarring. There is no need to remove any tissue that remains on the burned area after removing the bandage. Let your body do the work. The tissue will fall off on its own and the honey will speed up this process.
6. Do not wash off honey. The honey has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Most of the time it can prevent infections. The honey will form a protective layer over the area and removing it will expose the delicate tissue. Let the honey sit on the injured part.
7. Add more honey to the burnt part. Use as much honey as necessary to cover the burnt area. Use enough to form a layer about half an inch.
8. Apply a fresh bandage. Use gauze or Telfa to completely cover the burnt area. Hold it in place with medical tape.

Part 4 of 4: Let the burn heal

1. Change the dressing daily. Keep changing the bandages and applying more honey every day. Notice if the wound looks pink and lumpy.
2. Give your blister some air. Leave the bandage off for 1-2 hours every day. This gives the injured part a chance to get some fresh air. Then apply honey and a fresh bandage, gauze or Telfa again.
3. Wash off the honey. A first-degree burn should be healed within a week. A minor second degree burn should be healed within two weeks. Once the burn has healed, wash the honey off with cold, running water.
   • If it takes longer than 2 weeks for a burn to heal, see your doctor to have the burn checked.

Tips

• If you picked up something hot between your fingers, grab your earlobe immediately. The heat will quickly be drawn from the burn to your earlobe. The fingers have a large number of nerve endings, while the earlobe has only a few nerve endings and a relatively large surface area. The large surface can spread the heat better.

Warnings

• Do not attempt to remove burnt clothing or other materials from a second or third degree burn. This can cause more damage to your burn.
• Don't use anything other than water to cool a burn.
• Do not put butter, oil, or ice on a burn.