Burn Creams - To Use or Not To Use... That is the Question. Here is the Answer.

Last week “fake ads” supposedly advertising Bayer’s Burn Creams spread like wildfire across the internet. The ads depicting parents roasting their babies over fire, burning them with blowtorches or putting them on a stick like a marshmallow – I’m guessing the message is supposed to be that the first aid burn cream would protect them – has been rejected by the pharaceutical company Bayers as ads that would never have been approved.

Whether the adverts were real or fake, it made me think about the misconception the public may have regarding the use of burn creams. Burn creams should NOT be used as a First Aid treatment. In fact, they will only make the situation worse – think about it, have you ever put cream onto sunburn and felt like it is frying? If you have, you will know exactly how if feels… very PAINFUL. Burn creams are not FIRST aid, but do have their place for healing of burns. They are what I describe as FOURTH LINE Aid… in other words, they should only be used once the casualty has been seen by a doctor, when the worst is over and the burn has been cooled sufficiently. (First aid is First Line Aid, Ambulance is Second Line Aid, A&E is Third Line Aid and the Doctor is Fourth in line!) In cases where the casualty does not need to see a doctor then burn creams can be applied to help the skin recover. I suggest not less than 24 hours after cooling sufficiently.

The most important thing you can do is cool the burn. It’s even more important than gettiing help, because once the burn is being cooled then less damage will occur. Whilst cooling the burn, help can be called.