While burns aren’t something that many people experience on a daily basis, when a burn does take place on your skin, it can be a very painful and irritating experience. So if you do get a burn, whether it be from a small fire at your home or from touching a hot surface, what should you do to treat your injury? To help you know how to start healing and feeling better after you get a burn, here are three tips for caring for burns on your skin.

Know When To See A Doctor\

Before you can start treating a burn yourself, you first need to determine whether or not your burn is small enough for you to handle on your own or if you need to see a doctor. According to April Khan and Matthew Sloan, contributors to Healthline.com, you most likely will need to see a doctor to treat your burn if it’s over a large portion of your body, a deep burn, or a burn on skin on your face or other major joint of your body. If you’ve just gotten a small burn, you can likely treat it at home on your own and it should heal in about a week or so. But if you have a severe burn or at at all concerned about your physical well being as a result of your burn, it’s a good idea to see a healthcare professional.

Using Water On A Burn

Depending on the type of burn and how severe it is, you may or may not want to put water on it to help with healing. According to Dr. Benjamin Wedro, a contributor to MedicineNet.com, minor burns, like those that qualify as first- or second-degree burns and are only on a small area of your body, can be helped by applying water. You should use lukewarm water to gently clean the burn and help take some of the heat out. But if the burn is more major, you shouldn’t use cold water on the burn. If you do, you could cause the victim to suffer from hypothermia because it’s hard for a burn victim to regulate their own body temperature.

Remove Restrictive Items

Regardless of what type of burn takes place, the burn will likely start to swell relatively quickly. So to help keep proper blood flowing and make the burn victim as comfortable as possible, the Mayo Clinic recommends removing any restrictive items from the victim if you can safely do so. This includes things like rings, watches, belts or other items that could be harmful to the victim if they begin to swell.

If you or someone you know experiences a burn, consider using the tips mentioned above to help you to safely treat this wound.