Most minor burns can be treated at home with cool water, a simple ointment, and proper bandaging. The single most important step is cooling the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes as soon as possible after the injury. What you do in those first minutes, and in the days that follow, determines how well the skin heals and whether scarring becomes a problem.
Know What You’re Dealing With
Before you start treating a burn, take a moment to assess how deep it goes. This tells you whether home care is enough or whether you need professional help.
A first-degree burn damages only the outermost layer of skin. It looks dry and red, similar to a sunburn, and it hurts. These heal on their own within a week or so.
A second-degree burn goes deeper. The skin looks moist and red, blisters form, and the pain is intense. Superficial second-degree burns often heal at home over two to three weeks. Deeper second-degree burns are less moist, less red, and paradoxically less painful because more nerve endings have been damaged. These typically need medical attention.
A third-degree burn destroys the full thickness of skin. It can appear white, black, brown, or red, and the surface is dry and leathery. Pain is often reduced because the nerves themselves are destroyed. These burns always require emergency care. The same goes for any burn on the face, hands, feet, groin, or over a joint, and any burn that wraps around an arm or leg.
Cool the Burn Immediately
Run cool (not cold) water over the burn for a full 20 minutes. Research from UC Davis Health shows this duration meaningfully improves outcomes, even for burns that seem minor. The water doesn’t need to be frigid. Tap water at a comfortable cool temperature works perfectly.
Do not use ice. The extreme cold can injure already damaged tissue and make things worse. Don’t apply butter, oil, egg white, or lotion either. These trap heat in the skin and increase the risk of infection. If clothing is stuck to the burn, don’t try to pull it off. Let medical professionals handle that.
Apply Ointment and Cover the Wound
Once the burn is cooled, pat the area dry gently and apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or aloe vera. That’s it. You don’t need an antibiotic ointment, and in fact, some antibiotic creams cause allergic reactions that complicate healing. Avoid cortisone cream as well.
Cover the burn with a sterile, non-stick dressing. Regular gauze can stick to the wound and tear new skin when you remove it, so look for non-adherent pads or silicone foam dressings at the pharmacy. How often you change the dressing depends on the type:
- Impregnated gauze: change every 1 to 3 days
- Silicone foam dressings: replace every 3 to 7 days
- Hydrocolloid dressings: can stay on up to 7 days if there are no signs of infection
Each time you change the dressing, gently clean the area, reapply a thin layer of petroleum jelly or aloe vera, and cover with a fresh bandage. If a blister forms, leave it intact. It acts as a natural protective barrier. Popping it opens the door to bacteria.
Managing Pain During Healing
Burns hurt, sometimes for days. Over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen are effective for burn-related pain. Ibuprofen and naproxen also reduce inflammation, which can help with swelling around the wound. Follow the dosing directions on the package, and if you find yourself relying on these medications for more than a couple of weeks, check in with a healthcare provider, since long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs can cause stomach and kidney issues.
Keeping the burn elevated above your heart when possible also helps reduce throbbing pain, especially in the first day or two.
Watch for Signs of Infection
Infection is the main complication with burns treated at home. Check the wound each time you change the dressing. Healthy healing skin will be pink and gradually less tender. Warning signs that something has gone wrong include oozing (especially if it’s green, yellow, or foul-smelling), red streaks spreading outward from the burn, increasing pain after the first couple of days instead of decreasing pain, and fever. Any of these mean bacteria have gotten into the wound and you need medical treatment.
Protecting New Skin and Preventing Scars
Once a burn closes over, the new skin underneath is fragile and highly sensitive to sun damage. Even brief sun exposure can cause permanent darkening or discoloration. Apply sunscreen with at least SPF 15 to the healed area every time you go outside, and reapply every two hours. Many dermatologists recommend SPF 30 or higher for new scar tissue. Keep this up for at least a year after the burn heals.
For deeper second-degree burns that leave raised, thick scars (called hypertrophic scars), silicone gel sheets can help. These are thin, flexible strips you place directly over the scar. They reduce itching and dryness and help flatten the scar over time. You can wear them under clothing or compression garments throughout the day.
Massage also makes a real difference. Gently rubbing the scar tissue with moisturizer helps soften and loosen it, especially when combined with stretching. This is particularly important for burns over joints, where tight scar tissue can limit your range of motion. Start massaging once the wound is fully closed and no longer tender to the touch. A few minutes, two to three times a day, adds up over weeks and months.
For scars that remain thick or restrictive despite these measures, laser treatment and surgical options exist, but these are typically reserved for burns that interfere with movement or daily function.