On Friday evening while preparing dinner for my family I removed a stainless steel handled pan from the 180° C oven (about 355° F) which had baked potatoes in it with an oven glove, placing it on my work area. It was in the way of the dinner plates which I wanted to place there and so without thinking about it grabbed the handle with my bare left hand. The pain was excruciating, and well as the immediate thought that I just made it impossible for me to play the guitar for who knows how long was also psychically painful, and I felt totally foolish for fucking up so badly. I let go of the handle and turned on the cold water at the sink and for maybe three seconds kept my hand under the flow and realized that it just wasn't enough to do much good. I took one more step to the left and opened the refrigerator, popped open the freezer and grabbed a gel ice pack and put it on my hand and thank goodness there was immediate and welcomed relief. This was no longer than 8 seconds later after burning myself. If I took the ice pack off it began killing me in about 20 seconds...so I didn't...for four hours until I needed to go to sleep, swapping out the warmer with a fresh cold one of which I had a total of three to rotate in. My quandary now was how the hell was I going to be able to sleep with the pain at an 8.5/10 and showing no signs of abating?

We have a a few Angelite crystals, actually that started out as one before I broke it by dropping on the floor many years ago. Angelite is helpful with burns, and a fellow who I knew that lost his fingers, many toes, his nose, hair and for a while held the record for surviving with the highest percentage of body burned in a fire had laid atop an Angelite infused table for hours a day saying that it was the only thing that actually gave him any relief at all.

I put the two pieces in my hand and right away the pain was cut a full 50% as of when using the ice packs. I figured that it was because they were cool to the touch, but within 15 minutes I felt NO pain whatsoever, it had just vanished! I was able to fall asleep very quickly and besides having to get up and pee a few times (a prostate nightly thing), I had a painless night, and when I woke up in the morning, beside the new leathery texture and redness where I had grabbed that burning hot handle, I was 100% pain free. I clapped hands, played the guitar and was even able to sweep with a broom. The only time that the pain ramped up was when I took a shower and the hot water came in contact with the burns, but pulling away and palming the cooler tiles with my hand fixing that in just a second.

I contribute my rapid healing to not letting the pain burn a spot in my memory by continuously applying the cold packs. The rest and the complete and total return to a pain free existence in 15 minutes I must contribute to the amazing healing reaction of the Angelite. But this is just my observation and certainly isn't very scientific. I'm just glad that I didn't do greater damage to myself and that my ability to play the guitar has not in any way been impeded.

I got a small tube of Linola Fett at the natural pharmacy which has been working like a champ to keep the burned skin supple and not letting it dry out and crack. I highly recommend it.

 

Last edited: Feb 23, 2025 at 5:56 PM

Exciting story - thanks for sharing. A pretty nightmare and it's good that you reacted quickly to the danger and immediately took cold water or ice gel. I hope you continue to be well and that the layers of skin regenerate in the coming days and weeks.

I once fell into a campfire with one hand, it was very painful, I went to the pharmacy and put some burns on it and then straight to the hospital, where I was given a painkiller and a bandage. After a few days it healed and nothing remained of the injury, our bodies are great at repairing themselves, it must be that way because our hands are indispensable.

I heard of a forest worker who had badly injured himself with an axe or knife, they had an ointment made from pine resin and something else - within 3 days the wound was closed and then healed completely. With deeper wounds there is always a scar.

 

Looks like a case for Manuka honey.

CoPilot:

Manuka honey can be effective for treating minor burns. It has several properties that make it beneficial for wound healing:

1. Anti-inflammatory: Manuka honey can help reduce redness, swelling, and pain associated with burns.
   
   
2. Antibacterial: It has antibacterial properties that can prevent infection in minor burns.
   
   
3. Promotes Healing: Manuka honey can promote new skin cell growth, speeding up the healing process.
   

It's important to use medical-grade Manuka honey for treating burns, as it is sterilized and specifically prepared for medical use.

 

Be careful with burns!

- Do not use “home remedies”.
- Do not open burn blisters!
- Do not remove clothing that is crusted onto the skin.
- Immediately cool the burn with cool or cold (not icy) water.
- Cool the burn for at least 20 minutes.
- Cover the wound with a loose sterile bandage or use cling film. Do not wrap the wound.
- Medical attention is recommended for burns.
- Particular care is required when cooling large burns or burns on babies and small children to avoid causing hypothermia.

What are the classifications of burns?

Burns are classified by degree depending on how deeply and severely they penetrate the skin's surface: first, second, third, or fourth. It may be impossible to classify a burn immediately when it occurs. It can progress over time so you may not know the full extent for a day or two.

• First-degree (superficial) burns. First-degree burns affect only the outer layer of skin, the epidermis. The burn site is red, painful, dry, and has no blisters. Mild sunburn is an example. Long-term tissue damage is rare and often consists of an increase or decrease in the skin color.
  
  
• Second-degree (partial thickness) burns. Second-degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the lower layer of skin, the dermis. The burn site looks red, blistered, and may be swollen and painful.
  
  
• Third-degree (full thickness) burns. Third-degree burns destroy the epidermis and dermis. They may go into the innermost layer of skin, the subcutaneous tissue. The burn site may look white or blackened and charred.
  
  
• Fourth-degree burns. Fourth-degree burns go through both layers of the skin and underlying tissue as well as deeper tissue, possibly involving muscle and bone. There is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

 

We're just out of Manuka from finishing it up after we all had that heavy influenza last month. Thanks for reminding me to refill!

 

Oww DAMN man, that sucks! Hate to hear it, I really hope it winds up healing well. Even tiny burns drive me nuts.

 

Thanks, it should heal well. Our nurse friend Karin was visiting today and said...No worries!

 

It's Jack Daniel's time. Get well soon!

 

First glad you're OK and healing. While I've not burned my hands (at least not badly enough) I've got a particular knack at making small cuts to my fingers when cooking, and that's bad enough for a while.

Second... well there was an obvious double meaning wanking joke, but that'd be just crude. Sorry.

 

OMG! Good luck Lois! Your hands don't look too bad.. you were lucky...
could have been worse...

 

That's nothing, I had to take my daughter and niece to a One Direction concert! Surviving 20,000 insane screaming little girls and then a 45 minute downpour at the end of the outdoor stadium show is like a fate worse than immolation! I lived to tell the tale.

The cold packs kept the burn from blistering else the outcome would be a hell of a lot different.

 

it's a good reason to have an aloe vera plant in your kitchen window if you cook a lot. getting burned sucks. that modern chemical burn gel is another good one to have around. it's crazy how hand injuries can put your mind into slow motion mode. you see yourself going to grab the pan and it's like bullet time in the Matrix. But you can't stop yourself from grabbing it anyway. Then the jolt of the pain makes you grab down on it even more.

maybe you can make some good synth parts for a week.

 

Another "helper" is lavender aspic essential oil.
You can mix it with any other oil (like any cooking oil), to help "spread it".

I got NO burn trace on my hand after touching a frying pan directly on fire ...

Very nice post

 

Besides the wrinkly, leather texture my hand is perfectly fine which is a relief to me. The main reason that I posted was to pass on the extreme importance of using cold, preferably ice or frozen gel packs immediately after burning yourself and continue for as long as you are able. I seared my palms and fingers and without the ice I'm quite sure that everything would have blistered and then the recovery time would have put me out of commission playing for a goodly while. It seemed that I turned a 2nd degree burns into a first degree in a way, at least the long term symptoms.

I did the ice thing back in 1996 when I folded the fingers of my left hand backward when my entire body weight landed on my hand after falling off of my dear old Yamaha FG 350 the very first time that I ever rode a motorcycle. Thank goodness that I was just up the canyon from where I lived and managed to ride home, dropped the bike, drove in my car to the General Store and bought a few bags of ice...leaving on that left glove which was really tight at this point and keeping the swelling from getting extreme. The moment I got back I filled a bucket with ice and water and kept it in there for 10 minutes. Then I switched to hot water to get the blood flowing in the damage for about two minutes, and I did this for the next six hours our so, sending out friends for more bags of ice. The entire time I also kept my hand moving, wiggling my fingers and eventually being able to make a very weak fist. I had read that pro athletes wake up after knee surgery with their leg in a machine that keeps bending their knee. I tried to emulate that. I had tendon and ligament damage and hadn't thankfully broken any bones (though I thought that I had from the loud cracking noise when I landed on my hand) from my goofball fall off of the bike but no swelling after my cold/hot exercise! Two weeks later I was able to slowly begin playing the guitar and within a few months everything seemed back to normal, thank goodness.

Cold is an important to apply after hurting yourself and aids a much quicker recovery... that's what I hope sticks in people's minds that read my screed.

 

Thank you @Lois Lane for your life experience, below is an article from a clinic so that no misunderstandings arise and your illness is treated correctly.

Cold therapy – for swelling and bruises

Cold has been proven to have anti-inflammatory and vasoconstrictor effects . If a cold pack or ice bag is placed on the skin, blood circulation decreases and any existing swelling goes down. At the same time, exposure to cold can help reduce the perception of pain. This helps, for example, with sprains and bruises, which typically occur as a result of a sports injury. In addition to cold packs, the effect of cold can also be achieved through cooling compresses or wraps. The targeted cold is either directed at individual parts of the body or applied in the form of whole-body cryotherapy. The latter takes place in special cold chambers into which patients go for a few minutes. With temperatures ranging from -85 °C to -110 °C, cold treatment with short-term extreme cold is intended to support athletes in their regeneration process.

Heat therapy – for tension

The use of heat promotes blood circulation and can have a relaxing effect , which is particularly beneficial for cramps. For example, heat can have a positive effect on neck pain. This can be done using heat pads, heat patches or infrared lamps. Alternatively, you can take a hot bath or go to the sauna. In addition to stimulating blood circulation, heat can also help reduce the sensation of pain. For example, special heat compresses that can retain heat for several hours can provide immediate relief for those suffering from back pain and even increase a range of motion that has been restricted by tension.

Inflammation – heat or cold?

In the case of acute inflammation, it is generally advisable to use cold rather than heat treatment. The reason: heat could stimulate and increase the inflammatory process, thereby further increasing the existing pain. In general, it can be said that heat helps with tense muscles, cold with acute injuries and thus also with all inflammatory processes in the body.

Tips for heat and cold application

When using it, whether with heat or cold, it is important not to overdo the temperature and duration. Many patients tend to expose their skin to extreme heat or cold for too long. In the worst case, this can lead to burns, hypothermia and thus damage to the skin. To prevent this, ice packs or heat pads should never be placed directly on the area of skin to be treated . It is better to wrap them in a thin towel or cloth and only apply them for a few minutes at a time.

If you have any further questions about heat or cold treatments, we are happy to help you at any time. My colleagues and I at the MVZ in Helios look forward to hearing from you.