How to Treat a Burn from an Oven

Co-authored by Mohiba Tareen, MD

Last Updated: June 27, 2024 References

Burning yourself on the oven is annoying at best, painful at worst. It even happens to top chefs! Fortunately, you can treat most first- or second-degree burns at home.

Things You Should Know

If you have a first-degree or mild second-degree burn, run cool water over it for at least 10 minutes to help relieve the pain and swelling.
Once you start to feel better, gently pat the burn dry with a clean towel and coat the area with aloe or petroleum jelly.
Go to the emergency room if the burn looks thick, leathery, charred, or white.

Part 1

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Treating the Burn Yourself

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Treat the burn if its first- or second-degree. There are three degrees of burns, classified by severity (as in, how deep the burn goes under the skin).
- First-degree burns are superficial skin burns that are dry, red, and usually do not blister.^{[1]
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  University of Rochester Medical Center
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  Go to source} Mild sunburns are examples of first-degree burns, and these can be treated at home.
- Second-degree burns are more severe than first degree, penetrating past the first layer of skin. These burns are red, blistered, swollen, and usually painful.^{[2]
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  University of Rochester Medical Center
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  Go to source} Some second-degree burns can be treated at home—for example, a severe sunburn from a day at the beach.
- Third-degree burns are much more severe than second degree burns, destroying the first layer of skin and most of the layers underneath. These burns are white and charred.^{[3]
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  University of Rochester Medical Center
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  Go to source} Nearly all third-degree burns must be treated by a medical professional.
Start by removing any clothing or jewelry on or around the burn carefully. A burn can start to swell immediately, so the faster you treat it, the better.^{[4]
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Run cool water over a first-degree burn for about 10 minutes. Make sure the water is cool, not cold! Cool water will help reduce swelling and any pain.
- If you’re trying to conserve water, dampen a hand towel with cool water and compress the burn for about 10 minutes instead.^{[5]
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- For second-degree burns, keep cooling the burn until the pain and swelling goes down. This may take more than 10 minutes.^{[6]
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Apply aloe after drying burn. Use petroleum jelly immediately after patting the burn dry to help heal the top skin layer.^{[7]
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- You can also use aloe vera instead of petroleum jelly, so long as you keep reapplying either until the redness fades.^{[8]
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Use a clean adhesive bandage to cover the burn when you go outside. This will prevent more damage to your skin, and help the burn heal faster.

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Seeking Medical Attention

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Find medical attention immediately for a severe burn. If the burn is thick, leathery, or your skin chars white, you most likely have a severe second- or third-degree burn.
- Make sure to head to the nearest emergency medical facility immediately, or call your local emergency providers.^{[9]
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If you’ve been treating it for two weeks and it doesn’t fade, your burn might be more severe than you originally thought.^{[10]
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If you experience symptoms such as increased pain, increased redness, trouble breathing, or the burn begins to ooze, these could be signs that your burn is more severe than a first-degree burn.^{[11]
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Expert Q&A

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Question

How can I treat a burn scar?

Mohiba Tareen, MD
FAAD Board Certified Dermatologist
Mohiba Tareen is a board certified Dermatologist and the founder of Tareen Dermatology located in Roseville, Maplewood and Faribault, Minnesota. Dr. Tareen completed medical school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society. While a dermatology resident at Columbia University in New York City, she won the Conrad Stritzler award of the New York Dermatologic Society and was published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Tareen then completed a procedural fellowship which focused on dermatologic surgery, laser, and cosmetic dermatology.

Mohiba Tareen, MD

FAAD Board Certified Dermatologist

Expert Answer

It depends on the age of the burn scar. If it's an acute, new scar, silicone sheets are very helpful. These are available over-the-counter and will help the scar flatten out and appear less red. If the burn scar is older, laster treatment has been shown to be very effective.

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