Cover burns or leave them?

Question:

I accidently burnt myself this afternoon when I was placing a piece of wood into the fireplace. As I was pushing the wood in, my hand touched the metal on the inside of the heater and I burnt the skin between my thumb and index finger on my right hand.

As you can probably guess, it is still hurting considerably and is still red.

I was just wondering if I should cover it up with a sterile patch or leave it? It hasn't blistered.

Tell me what you think!

Answers:
If the skin isn't broken, keep it clean and leave it uncovered.

And be more careful next time. ; )

She is right.
Leave it uncovered and clean.
When it does blister, cover it for comfort, then uncover it at night.
Just make sure you keep clean!

Its best to leave it uncovered. You can use cold water or ice to help with the pain and blistering. Burns are not recommended for covering since they heal better when left uncovered and clean.

Leave the burn uncovered and apply vinegar or witch hazel for the pain.

Do not do anything that would cause the heat to be trapped, like lotion or ointment. A loose, breathable dressing would not do any more damage though and if it hurts it may help to protect the area.

Cover burns or leave them?

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