If you've just burned yourself, rinse the burn under cool water. Cold water will quickly cool the affected area and minimize the size of the burn. Don't use soap yet, just rinse the burn.Don't rinse more serious burns. If you see any scorching or ash and smell burning, stay away from water and call 911.
Don't submerge burns in water. Rinse gently, then dry your skin by patting it with a clean towel afterward.;
, After cooling down your skin with water, you can use a clean cold compress on the burn to reduce swelling. This helps to soothe the pain and minimize the swelling and blistering that can occur with minor burns.


Some people like to use chipped ice cubes, or bags of frozen vegetables or other frozen items instead of a clean cold compress. If you do this, don't ice directly for more than 5 or 10 minutes. Burns can numb your heat-sensitivity, which means you can actually get frostbite. Since you won't be able to feel it getting too cold, use ice sparingly.
 Even if you think the burn is relatively mild, keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse. Sometimes, bad burns can become numb, making the pain come on later.Learn the difference between burns to plan for care:



First degree burns affect the top layer of skin only, and are characterized by redness, minor swelling, and pain. First degree burns don't usually require medical attention.Second degree burns also only affect the outer layer of skin, but are more severe, characterized by red and white splotchy skin, blistering, swelling, and more significant pain.

Third degree burns affect the under layers of skin, and the fat beneath. Some severe third degree burns even affect muscle, or bone. These burns are characterized by blackness or white scorching on the skin, and may be accompanied by difficulty breathing, severe pain, and smoke inhalation.
 Use a cold washcloth or other sanitary compress on the affected area to help with the pain. Coldness helps both to reduce the pain and reduce the swelling of the burned area. Burns that blister will hurt more in the long run, so it's important to keep it from swelling up if you can.
 Sometimes, even minor burns will start to throb and can be quite painful in the first few hours. If your burn hurts, you can ease the pain by raising the area above the level of your heart, if possible.
 All third degree burns require medical attention as quickly as possible. Second degree burns larger than three inches, or on the hands, feet, face, genitals, or major joints and sensitive areas, it's also important to get checked out by a doctor.
Run the burn under cold water.
Cool the spot for 5-10 minutes.
Look at the spot after a few minutes.
Continue applying a cold compress, if the pain persists.
Raise the burned area above your heart.
Seek medical attention for serious burns.
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