Burnt my hand on the oven hob a few hours ago. The whole of the front, palm and fingers, are now a nice white colour. Had it under running cold water for 20 mins as soon as I did it, then in chilled water ever since, which has been bearable pain. And I’ve had ibuprofen. Now it’s time to go to bed and as soon as I take it out of water it’s **** agony. Anything else I can do other than suck it up? Don’t see myself sleeping much tonight.

Tbh. I’d probably head to minor injuries or God forbid A&E if it is that bad. It’s your hand and complications could be serious. Maybe if you turn up in your work clothes you might get seen quicker

I’m led to believe cling film can help

Edit: But don’t listen to me without due diligence, I’m hammered.

Don’t you apply a healing cream like E45, then cling film?

I’d ring 111 if it was me, and it was as bad as you say.

sounds like an a+E job – the only good news is a painful burn actually means you have done less damage than you might – the worst category of burns don’t hurt as yo have destroyed the nerves. Phone up for advice but be prepared to go to A&E

When I was a very small kid, we had those rubber jobbies on our taps that let you swish water round the sink, but if a tap wasn’t quite turned off dripping water used to collect inside, until it finally ran out, what I called ‘ribbling’ because of the noise. One evening the hot tap did that all across the back of my hand. I created quite a fuss, my mum told me not to be a baby, it wasn’t hot.
Well, I slept with my hand between the two mattresses because it was the only way I could stop the burning sensation, the next morning the back of my hand was one large blister with the skin already starting to peel!
If I was you I’d be off to A&E, but first I’d be wrapping cling film, or at least a dry bandage around it to protect it, that could be rather nasty otherwise.

Maybe if you turn up in your work clothes you might get seen quicker

You haven’t seen me in a crumpled suit with a shirt that won’t do up properly 🙂

Hmmm, never imagined hospital would be necessary. My wife, who’s a nurse, never mentioned it. How urgent is such a thing, or is it a morning job depending how it looks?

Cling film it to keep it clean and A+E mate, sounds nasty

Ah no nice blue kit and stab vest then. Still with all respect for your wife’s view on it I’d be heading to a local all night doctor for a check up if it’s as bad as you say!!

I remember turning up very early 1 Sunday morning to A&E with a dog bite. I was only person there without a headache and got seen pretty sharpish.

Dress up as your wife and go in.

Phone for advice – thats what its for. I would have gone as soon as it was done probably but without seeing it I don’t know but white is a bad sign – hat means all that skin is dead IIRC but the pain means its not full thickness. I am not sure how urgent it is but I thiunk it needs treatment

“When to go to hospital

Once you have taken these steps, you’ll need to decide whether further medical treatment is necessary. Go to a hospital accident and emergency (A&E) department for:

large or deep burns – bigger than the affected person’s hand
burns of any size that cause white or charred skin

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Burns-and-scalds/Pages/Treatment.aspx

No dressing up outfit any more, no. Wife’s uniforms are a bit of a squeeze, but that might do it for some, so could help.

Right oh then, I’ll give them a bell. Thanks for the advice.

My wife, who’s a nurse, never mentioned it.

Has she had a proper look at your hand?
If the 15 mins or so under cold water didnt make it feel like the worse was past I would be seeking professional help.

What news ape?

..sang Tom Jones.

The damage is done in a millisecond in contact with something hot. Putting it under a cold tap is just to cool the burn, leaving it in cold water after that won’t make any difference to the damage. If it doesn’t blister it will heal in a few days. If it blisters there’s a strong risk of infection so it needs dressing.

Putting it under a cold tap is just to cool the burn, leaving it in cold water after that won’t make any difference to the damage.

It’s done now anyway, but for future reference it absolutely will make a difference long term! Even if you don’t get to cold water straight away and the wound is objectively at body temperature again.

British burn association, with references.

What news ape?

He’s ded 🙁

His wife, however, has told him to not make sure a fuss and get up this minute.

True that, so now I’m up. She’s not here although I do recall some mention of a training course in Glasgow so I assume she’s gone there.

I didn’t go in the end. I think in hindsight the whiteness was probably as much from the cold as anything else and there was no broken or weeping skin so I went to bed clutching an ice pack in a towel. The other factor is the 50% chance that the out of hours doctor at the hospital would be the one I’ve fallen out with a couple of times at work and he’s utterly useless.

It’s not actually causing me any real pain this morning. There is some glazed skin and a number of blisters but they are all in tact and what was white has returned to pink. I can use it, which is a good job as it’s my wiping hand and I’ve got a mole at the counter.

Smear it in Manuka Honey and bandage it, leave for a week and repeat.
Manuka honey works wonders on skin wounds.

Manuka honey works wonders on skin wounds.

It takes your mind off it too – at £15 quid a jar you’ll be thinking you’ve just been stung by a bee.

Anecdotal evidence, but when I was welding I would frequently get small intense local burns on my hands. I used to have an old cardboard tub of proper old school zinc oxide cream. Smeared liberally over the wound and covered with a dressing and the burn would be healed in a matter of days. It seems impossible to buy such a cream these days but Sudocreme for nappy rash or Anusol pile creme has a high ZnO content, the latter also contains an anaesthetic, so I would recommend some of that and see what happens. Certainly won’t do any harm. IANAD (well I am but not of the medical variety 🙂 )

I’ve got a mole at the counter.

Genuine lol, that’s a new one on me!

Sudocrem a plenty in this house…

Good news thegreatape – sounds like its not as bad as it sounded. read the advice for burns on the link I posted No greasy creams IIRC

Cheers tj, I was straight on that link last night, which is what led me on to google images of different burns which was quite helpful too.

Had it under running cold water for 20 mins as soon as I did it, then in chilled water ever since

Interestingly the NHS web site says not to use iced/chilled water on a burn but to use cool or luke warm water.

Last time I did similar (I spilt a pan of hot beef dripping over my hand) I slept with my hand in a bowl of water then spent the following day fishing (with my hand in the water all day).

then spent the following day fishing (with my hand in the water all day).

The old ‘decoy rack of spare ribs’ trick for catching pike.

zinc oxide cream

It’s still used to treat dermatitis in hospitals. Very effective for damaged/dry/broken skin.

My wife scolded her arm badly a few months ago and eventually went to A&E.

She had to apply some petroleum jelly type of stuff and then bandage on top to stop the whole thing drying out.

My wife scolded her arm badly a few months ago and eventually went to A&E.

Wouldn’t it stop crying or something?

Well it’s been fine today, mostly. A liberal application of Sudocrem before wearing a single bike glove all day to stop it getting all over the furniture. And pets. Like an off road Michael Jackson. One blister has burst but otherwise all in order.

Congratulations, you’re in……

which is a good job as it’s my wiping hand and I’ve got a mole at the counter.

Euphemism of the week and it’s only Monday!