How to Treat a Blister Burn

Blisters form after certain burns, and although unpleasant, they are your body's natural way of sealing off damaged tissue within a protective bubble of fluid to keep out harmful bacteria 3. Still, you can help the healing process along by treating a blister burn to manage pain, stave off potential infection, and allow your skin to heal more rapidly and with less potential for scarring or re-injury.

Run cold water over the affected area of skin for three to four minutes immediately after the burn occurs. If you are using a kitchen or bathroom faucet, allow the water to gently flow out because the pressure of gushing or spraying water may harm the wounded skin.

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Wash the blister burn with antibacterial soap and water. Clean the surface gently, taking care not to scrub, which will irritate the blister burn and potentially damage more of the burned skin tissue by rupturing the newly-formed blister. When you're done washing, let the blister burn air dry if possible, or lightly pat it dry it with a piece of sterile gauze to prevent contamination of the area by bacteria.

Apply an antibacterial ointment, such as Neosporin or Bacitracin, to cover the entire area of the blister burn. Use enough to keep the burn moist before bandaging because burns will heal more quickly and with less potential for scarring in a moist, sterile environment. Use a porous adhesive bandage to cover the blister burn and ointment.

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Change your bandage after 24 hours, or any time that the bandage becomes wet, dirty or fails to adhere to the skin. Apply more antibacterial ointment before covering the blister burn with a fresh dressing. Continue to change the bandage and apply ointment daily.

Relieve discomfort or pain by draining the blister burn if necessary. Allow a few days for the blister burn to heal before doing so. Remove the bandage and wash the area with soap and water. Apply rubbing alcohol to sterile gauze and lightly swab the blister burn. Sterilize a small sewing needle with the alcohol, then make one or two small punctures toward the edge of the blister--just enough to let it drain--keeping the majority of the blistered skin intact. When the fluid has drained, clean the blister burn once again, re-apply fresh ointment and bandage.

Cut away dead skin when it begins to form on the blister burn, generally after three or four days, according to Mayo Clinic.com. Dip the blades of small grooming scissors in rubbing alcohol to sterilize them before making an incision. When you see new, pink skin beneath the dead skin, you can remove the bandage from your healed blister burn.

Warnings

Seek professional medical attention if the blister burn covers a large area of skin, or affects the face, joints, or genital region.

While lear drainage is normal with blister burns, if you notice discolored pus weeping from the wound, contact your doctor immediately.