How to Heal Skin Burns With Vitamin Supplements

Burns are classified according to their severity -- and so is their treatment. The skin is the body's barrier against infection and bacteria, so when the skin is affected by even a minor burn, complications can arise. Getting prompt and appropriate treatment for burns is important. Vitamin supplements can be helpful in the body's healing process, but before you use vitamins to heal from burns, ask your medical provider for advice.

Take 1,000 mg of a vitamin C supplement two to six times a day, recommends the University of Maryland Medical Center 1. High doses can cause diarrhea; if this develops, cut back your dosage until it resolves. Vitamin C helps promote new tissue growth and strengthens new tissue and skin. Dietary sources of vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, leafy greens, winter squash and blueberries.

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Add vitamin E to your supplement regimen. Vitamin E can be used directly on the skin once new skin has grown over the healed burn. The University of Michigan Health System suggests breaking open a vitamin E capsule and applying it to the burn two or three times a day 3. As an oral supplement, recommended doses of this vitamin are 400 to 800 IU daily. You can also get vitamin E through your diet by eating almonds, peanut butter, broccoli and mango.

Consume fish oil. The University of Maryland Medical Center reports that one to two capsules or 1 tbsp 1. of fish oil, twice daily, can aid in healing, decrease inflammation and boost immunity to safeguard against infection. You can eat fatty fish like herring or mackerel, but fish oil supplements provide a higher amount of omega-3 fatty acids.

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Take a multivitamin that includes vitamins A, C and E, as well as the B-complex vitamins, magnesium, zinc, calcium and selenium. Ask your doctor what vitamin dosages are appropriate for you before using a multivitamin plus supplements of vitamins C and E.

Tips

Avoiding refined, high-sugar foods, minimizing consumption of fatty red meats, and emphasizing fruits and vegetables in your diet can help encourage the healing process and promote health.

Warnings

Before taking any vitamins or applying any topical creams on your burns, ask your health care provider whether it is safe to do this, especially if your burns are moderate or severe. Extremely high doses of various vitamins can cause toxicity; do not take more than the recommended amount of any vitamin. Consult a health care provider to verify the dosages are appropriate.