What happens if you put butter on a burn

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Home Health Library. Evidence for the Health Claim The butter-for-a-burn remedy likely owes its origin and persistence to the soothing nature of a cool, greasy substance like butter. Evidence Against the Health Claim The well accepted first aid instructions for burns include: 1 prevent infection by cleaning the area, and 2 relieve pain.

References Burn prevention—treating burns. Accessed July 19, Burns. Image Credit: Nucleus Communications, Inc. Cancer Care. Emergency Services. Cesarean Birth. Imaging Services. High Blood Pressure. Laboratory Services. Maternity Services. Hip Replacement. Primary Care. Type 2 Diabetes. Surgical Services. Home Care. Support Groups. Stroke Awareness. At what point does a burn require medical care? Minor burns often can be treated at home without seeing a health care provider.

Immediately evaluate in a medical setting any other type of burn that covers a larger area of the skin. A health care provider also should evaluate a burn that shows signs of infection, such as oozing from the wound and increased pain, redness and swelling.

A first-degree burn involves only the top or outer layer of the skin epidermis. After all, butter's been used this way for decades, so it must be helpful, right? Actually no, says Queensland burns expert Dr Leila Cuttle. While it might be a popular remedy, there's no evidence butter helps healing, she says. However, she recently proved running cold water from the tap on a burn for 20 minutes does significantly improve healing as well as prevent scarring. This process can work anytime up to three hours after the injury.

But there wasn't much rigorous research in those days. People would often just apply something to a burn and say 'oh that feels better' or 'that healed nicely' and therefore assume their method worked. And so they would keep using it. Butter could contain bacteria that could cause an infection. I can't say definitively it will make a burn worse, but it certainly won't make it better the way cold water does.