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Minor Burns

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Natural Therapies

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

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A minor burn is damage to the outer and underlying layer of skin from thermal, chemical, electrical, or radiation exposure. They can cause pain, swelling, blisters.

Minor burns are treated with first aid, such as cool water, bandages, and over the counter pain medicine. Some people like to use natural therapies to promote healing.

Natural Therapies

Likely Effective

Hyaluronic acid is made by the body to lubricate the skin and eyes. It is likely to quicken healing.A3

May Be Effective

These therapies may promote healing:

Gotu kola is a plant used in oils, salves, and creams.A6
Honey is a thick substance made by bees.A1, A5, A7, A8, A10

Not Enough Data to Assess

Aloe veraA2, A4, A9
Aromatherapy B1

Editorial process and description of evidence categories can be found at EBSCO NAT Editorial Process.

Herbs and Supplements to Be Used With Caution

Talk to your doctor about any supplements or therapy you would like to use. Some can interfere with treatment or make conditions worse.

References►

Herbs and Supplements

A1. Jull AB, Cullum N, et al. Honey as a topical treatment for wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015 Mar 6;(3):CD005083.

A2. Khorasani G, Hosseinimehr SJ, et al. Aloe versus silver sulfadiazine creams for second-degree burns: a randomized controlled study. Surg Today. 2009;39(7):587-591.

A3. Voigt J, Driver VR. Hyaluronic acid derivatives and their healing effect on burns, epithelial surgical wounds, and chronic wounds: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Wound Repair Regen. 2012;20(3):317-331.

A4. Shahzad MN, Ahmed N. Effectiveness of Aloe Vera gel compared with 1% silver sulphadiazine cream as burn wounds dressing in second degree burns. J Pak Assoc. 2013;63(2):225-230.

A5. Aziz Z, Abdul Rasool Hassan B, et al. The effects of honey compared to silver sulfadiazine for the treatment of burns: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Burns. 2017;43(1):50-57.

A6. Saeidinia A, Keihanian F, et al. Partial-thickness burn wounds healing by topical treatment: A randomized controlled comparison between silver sulfadiazine and centiderm. Medicine (Baltimore). 2017;96(9):e6168.

A7. Barbosa NS, Kalaaji AN. CAM use in dermatology. Is there a potential role for honey, green tea, and vitamin C? Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2014 Feb;20(1):11-5.

A8. Vandamme L, Heyneman A, et al. Honey in modern wound care: a systematic review. Burns. 2013 Dec;39(8):1514-25.

A9. Dat AD, Poon F, et al. Aloe vera for treating acute and chronic wounds. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Feb 15;(2):CD008762.

A10. Wijesinghe M, Weatherall M, et al. Honey in the treatment of burns: a systematic review and meta-analysis of its efficacy. N Z Med J. 2009 May 22;122(1295):47-60.

A11. Maenthaisong R, Chaiyakunapruk N, et al. The efficacy of aloe vera used for burn wound healing: a systematic review. Burns. 2007 Sep;33(6):713-718. Epub 2007 May 17.

Aromatherapy

B1. Choi J, Lee JA, et al. Aromatherapy for the relief of symptoms in burn patients: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Burns. 2018 Sep;44(6):1395-1402.

Last reviewed November 2019 by EBSCO NAT Review Board Eric Hurwitz, DC
Last Updated: 6/9/2020

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