The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Toni (Columbus, Ohio) on 07/04/2015:
I have burned my three fingers on a stove, and it says mustard, honey, cold water and toothpaste all work to help the burning go down, all that did was make it worse. I suggest an Icepack for that is the only thing helping so far.
I have used ice and ice water for burns for years, but there are a few tricks. First, you have to leave the burn in contact with ice until it stops hurting, but you want to put it in a tea towel (thin dish towel or rag - not terry cloth). The trick is to leave it in contact with the burned area until it stops burning, about 20 minutes or so. This is for a minor burn. Once it becomes numb, take off the ice. If it starts to burn again, you need more time.
This said, you must know the risks of shock. Dumping a cup of hot tea in your lap and burning your genitals can easily put you into shock. This happened to a friend of mine and they put ice water packs on her (rags soaked in ice water) for quite a long time. I was there to see it. They sent her home with ointment of some kind. Cold stops the tissue from cooking, but you can also freeze the tissue and damage it. So, you have to use common sense. If you leave ice directly on skin for too long, it will freeze it like anything else. Check it often. If you can't take the ice, use ice water or rags soaked in ice water.
Know the symptoms and risks of shock. If you are alone and you are at risk of going into shock, call 911. Do not try to treat yourself. Do your homework, and use common sense.
NEVER use ice on the burn! I was scalded and the EMS came and they said that is dangerous, you can cause frostbite on the burn. Cold water is the accepted remedy. Aloe (prefer fresh) works wonders.
