Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Many types of honey are famous for its medicinal uses, and people have been using honey to heal wounds for hundreds of years. Medicinal honey like manuka is a natural antibacterial agent that also moisturizes and helps wounds heal faster. This property makes honey a great natural burn remedy. If there is a minor burn, you can apply honey right away to soothe the skin. If the burn is more severe, see your doctor first, then use honey in the recovery process.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Soothe mild burns

1. 

   Fast determined degree of burns. You should only use honey to treat minor burns, that is, first degree burns. First degree burns only affect the outermost layer of the skin, causing redness, burning, and slight swelling. The skin also doesn't break or bleed. Remember that you should only treat yourself if the burn is a minor grade 1 burn.
   • With a second degree burn, you will experience more pain, blistering, and deeper redness. The skin may tear or bleed.
   • A degree 3 burn will exfoliate the outermost layer of skin. The burned area may turn white or black, and the burn may be numb.
   • Seek emergency medical attention if you have had 2nd and 3rd degree burns. These are serious injuries.

2. 

   
   
   Turn on cool running water over a mild 1-degree wound. Cool the burned area as soon as possible by running under cool running water. Cool the burn for 5 minutes and pat dry gently.
   • Always use cool water to treat the burn, not cold water. Also, do not apply ice to the burn. Water that is too cold can cause more skin damage.
   • Do not use a washcloth on the burn as it can be very painful. You should only pat dry the burned area.
   • Do not use honey right away for second or third degree burns. Get medical attention for these burns as soon as possible.

3. 

   
   
   Pour manuka honey over the burned area. Manuka honey, also known as medicinal honey, is especially famous for its healing effects. This is the best honey for burns. Pour 15-30 ml of honey over the entire burn and surrounding undamaged skin.
   • Many large supermarkets and health care stores sell manuka honey. If you can't find manuka honey at the store, you can easily order it online.
   • There are also some other medicinal honey like active Leptospermum (ALH) honey that you can use instead of manuka honey.
   • If you can't find medicinal honey, another option that works as well is unfiltered raw organic honey. Do not take regular food honey, as it may contain additives or chemicals.
   • If you are afraid that your honey will be stained, you can also pour honey into a gauze instead of pouring it directly on the burn.

4. 

   
   
   Cover the burned area with a sterile gauze to keep the honey from drifting. Use clean, dry gauze or a non-stick medical gauze. Wrap the burned skin and cover the honey so it does not leak.
   • Fix the gauze in place with medical tape if needed. Make sure the sticky part of the dressing doesn't come into contact with the burn, otherwise it will hurt you when peeling the tape.
   • If you are using a honey-soaked gauze pad instead of pouring it directly onto the burned area, apply another layer of dry gauze on top so it doesn't stick to anything.
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Method 2 of 3: Change the bandage for the wound

1. 

   Change the bandage every day until the wound heals. Depending on the severity of the burn, it can take 1-4 weeks to heal. You need to change the bandage every day and reapply honey to keep the burned area moist and fight bacteria. Once the wound has healed, you can stop treatment.
   • If you show signs of infection at any time, see your doctor immediately.
   • If you don't want to continue taking honey, you can stop at any time. Switch to an antibacterial cream to prevent infection.

2. 

   Wash your hands before removing the bandage. Remember that your hands must be clean before changing the dressing on the burn to avoid infection.
   • If you ask someone to change the dressing, make sure they wash their hands as well.
   • You can use this treatment for second and third degree burns while you recover from medical attention. Do not apply honey before your doctor has examined severe burns.

3. 

   Gently remove the bandage. Peel off the tape that you used to secure the gauze, then slowly peel off the gauze. Do not pull it out immediately or it will be very painful. Slowly and slowly remove the bandage. The honey will probably loosen and get off the skin more easily, so it shouldn't be difficult to remove the dressing.
   • If the gauze gets on your skin, you can soak it in cool water for about 5 minutes to loosen it.
   • Don't peel flaky patches of skin to avoid more severe skin inflammation.

4. 

   Use cool water to wash the remaining honey. If the honey remains on your skin, let the tap water run on your skin for a few minutes. The remaining honey will go away easily. Use a towel to gently dry after washing.
   • Do not scrub the skin to remove honey. You will get pain and the burn may become inflamed if you do. Leave some honey on the skin that doesn't go away easily.

5. 

   Check the burn for infection. Although honey is a natural antibacterial, burns can still become infected. Before you cover the wound, you need to check for infection. If you find any of the following signs of infection, see your doctor to have the wound examined.
   • Pus or discharge
   • The bumps contain anything but clear fluid (if your skin blisters, don't touch it)
   • Red streaks radiating from the wound
   • Fever

6. 

   Apply more honey to the burned area. Use the same honey and the same amount of honey you used in the beginning. Pour honey over the burn and the surrounding skin.

7. 

   Put on a new compress. Use a gauze pad or non-stick bandage to cover the entire burned area. Wrap the wound around the wound and secure it with medical tape, if needed. advertisement

Method 3 of 3: Medical treatment

1. 

   Seek emergency medical attention for severe burns. If you have degree 2 and 3 burns, seek immediate medical attention. Go to the nearest emergency room or call emergency services for help.
   • You should also go to the emergency room if you have wrinkled burns or patches of burned, black, brown, or white skin.
   • In addition, you also need to go to the emergency room or call an ambulance if the burn affects your lungs or throat, burns on your face, hands, feet, groin, buttocks or important joints.
   • For a second degree burn, you should still cool it with running cold water for 15 minutes or until the ambulance team arrives.

2. 

   Get emergency medical help immediately if you have an electrical or chemical burn. All electrical or chemical burns should be treated by a doctor as soon as possible. These burns may require special wound treatments or procedures.
   • Chemical burns should be rinsed under cool running water for at least 5 minutes and seek immediate medical attention.
   • Consult a doctor before applying honey to a chemical burn. Chemical burns can react differently.

3. 

   Call your doctor if you notice signs of infection. Even with the right treatment, a burn can become infected. Make an appointment with your doctor or go to the emergency room if you experience symptoms of infection, such as:
   • Pus or discharge from the burn
   • Increased pain, redness, or swelling around the burn
   • Fever

4. 

   See your doctor if the minor burns don't heal within 2 weeks. If you have a degree 1 or degree 2 burn, the burn will usually heal within 2 weeks. If the burn has not healed or has not improved significantly after 2 weeks, make an appointment with your doctor to find out the cause.

5. 

   Seek medical attention for burns that cause severe scarring. Most minor burns will heal without leaving any significant scarring. If a large scar or keloid appears after the wound has healed, let your doctor know. They can identify the cause of the scar and recommend treatment if needed. Common treatments for burn scars include:
   • Apply silicone gel
   • Protect scars from the sun
   • Use laser therapy or steroid injections to relieve pain, reduce scar size, and fade scars
   • Surgery to remove large scars
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Advice

• Keep in mind that studies have used raw, untreated honey for experimentation, so the burn treatment effect of processed honey may not be as good. Treated honey can also cause additional irritation because it contains additives and other chemicals. Use only unprocessed medicinal honey, such as manuka honey.

Warning

• Do not try to remove burnt clothing or any material on second or third degree burns. This can further damage the skin. Let a medical professional help you remove your clothes.
• Never apply butter, margarine or any other oils to the burn. They can cause more harm, even though they are common folk remedies.
• Do not use anything other than water to cool the burn. Ice is too cold and can damage the skin.