How to restore skin color after burn: Skin burn is caused by heat on an area of the skin that damages the skin tissues.
There are various degrees of burns that can be ranked according to the number of skin layers that are burnt. Some of these burns might leave scars while others might not.
However, if there is a burn scar, there are various ways to heal the scar and restore your skin color.
This article would explain some of the methods you can use to restore your skin color after a burn, and how to prevent a scar if you get burnt.
Types of burns and the scars they form
How to restore your skin color after a burn depends on the type of the burn, and the scar formed.
The types of burn are classified according to the number of skin layers they affect;
● First degree burns
First-degree burns are superficial burns that barely leave a scar. They only affect the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis).
The burn site is red and painful with a slight increase or decrease in skin color. First-degree burns have no blisters and take at most 6 days to heal.
● Second-degree burn
Second-degree burns are burns that are partially thick and might leave a scar. These burns affect both the epidermis and the layer below it, the dermis.
Second-degree burns are red, painful, swollen, and form blisters. As these burns affect the dermis, they take 2 to 3 weeks to heal completely.
Examples of second-degree burns are friction burns, like rug burns or road rash.
● Third-degree burn
Third-degree burns are thick burns that would always leave scars. They affect both the epidermis and dermis deeply, and might also affect the underlying bones, tending, and nerve endings.
Third-degree burns come with excruciating pain at first but later feels numb because of the destroyed nerve endings. The area might be white or charred and would leave a scar after healing.
How to treat burns
The different types of burns have their specific treatment methods.
- First-degree burns: An instance of a first-degree burn is when you touch a hot pressing iron for a split second. The burn would be red and very painful but with no swelling.
First-degree burns can be treated by applying petroleum jelly or aloe Vera to the burnt area. Ensure it does not contain antibiotics, as they might cause allergic reactions.
- Second-degree burns: An instance of a second-degree burn is a burn caused by hot water.
Second-degree burns are treated by dressing the wound and applying antibiotic ointments to prevent infections. The wound dressing is to be changed at least twice a day.
- Third-degree burns: An instance of a third-degree burn is long contact with an iron or any hot object. The burn would be deep and the areas around it would be charred white or red.
Third-degree burns are treated with intravenous (IV) antibiotics, IV fluids to replace the fluid lost during the burn, and skin grafting. This treatment also applies to fourth-degree burns.
5 ways to restore skin color after burn
Here are 5 methods you could use to restore your skin color after a burn;
● Laser treatments
Laser treatments are a modern method that can be used to restore skin color after a burn.
However, lasers are made in a way to burn some particular elements in a scar. After destroying these elements, the skin can thereby stimulate a healing process.
An additional benefit of using laser treatments to restore your skin color after a burn is that it also disrupts the development of existing scars.
● Silicon gel
Silicon gel sheet or ointment is a traditional method that can be used to restore your skin color after a burn.
It is popularly used for preventing scars in surgical wounds. However, it could also be used to reduce the size of scars, heal scars and restore your skin color.
In treating scars, you would get better results using silicon gel sheets than the ointment.
● Polyurethane pad
This pad is used to prevent scarring and as such, restore your skin after a burn or an injury.
The pad is moist and should be worn for at least 6 weeks to restore the skin color and prevents scars.
● Cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is used to treat scars and restore your skin color by destroying scar tissue.
By freezing the scar, the scar size is reduced by half and the discoloration is reduced. However, cryosurgery should be combined with other methods to achieve complete healing.
● Compression garments
These are pieces of clothing that prevent scarring by expecting pressure on the injured area. By exerting pressure, compression garments would help heal the burn injury without forming a scar.
This would prevent skin discoloration after the injury is healed.
Tips on how to prevent burn scars
The most effective way to prevent skin discoloration after a burn is to prevent scarring. You should do this immediately after you get injured and shortly after the burn injury is heated.
Here are a few tips on how to prevent scars immediately after a burn injury;
- Quickly rinse the burnt area with lukewarm water and let the area dry completely.
- Apply an antibiotic ointment to the burnt area to prevent an infection.
To do this properly, use a sterile tongue depressor.
- Wrap a nonstick bandage around the injury. Also, include gauze in this dressing.
- Take the covered area to a hospital if the case is an emergency, like in third-degree burns.
Other practices that should be done shortly after the burn has healed are;
- Lightly stretch the skin around the burnt area for a few minutes every day. This would prevent the akin from gumming together and gradually turning into a scar.
- Do not burst the blisters around the burnt area (if any). Allow the blisters to burst open and drain by themselves.
- Protect the burnt area from sunlight for some months even after it has healed. This is because if exposed to sunlight, burn injuries would get sunburns that would be more intense than the original injury.
Summary
In summary, getting burnt is a common daily accident.
Although some could be extreme, like third-degree burns, others might not be intense, like first-degree burns.
However, before giving any treatment to a burn injury, you need to confirm the type of burn. If it is a third-degree burn, it is an emergency and should be reported to a medical doctor as fast as possible.
Scars could cause a lot of emotional and mental trauma, but they can be prevented or fixed with the methods mentioned above.
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