First Degree Burn Quiz
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A burn
Area of the burn smaller than my palm
Rashes
Redness of the skin
Back burned
Smaller than palm-sized burn
There is a sore
Not seeing your symptoms? No worries!
What is First Degree Burn?
Burn of the outer layer of the skin. The skin is red, warm, and painful.
Typical Symptoms of First Degree Burn
- Size of burnt area is smaller than my palm
- Suffered a burn
- Tingling or prickling sensation without touching the skin
- Skin problems
- Affected area is warm to touch
- Areas of irritated or peeling skin
- Swelling in the affected area
- Black/blue/brown spots or moles, on the skin and lining of the mouth
Diagnostic Questions for First Degree Burn
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Is the burn smaller than your palm?
- Did you sustain any burns?
- Do you feel tingling or prickling sensations in your skin?
- Do you have any skin problems
- Is the affected area hot to touch?
Treatment of First Degree Burn
First aid includes applying cold water for around 10 minutes over the burned area. Petroleum jelly and a non-sticky dressing can be helpful, but no other substances should be applied. Painkillers will ease pain, while shielding the burned area from sunlight will help reduce scarring.
Reviewed By:
Scott Nass, MD, MPA, FAAFP, AAHIVS (Primary Care)
Dr. Nass received dual medical degrees from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Charles R. Drew University in Medicine and Science. He completed Family Medicine residency at Ventura County Medical Center with subsequent fellowships at Ventura, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, George Washington University, and University of California-Irvine. He holds faculty appointments at Keck School of Medicine of USC, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, and Western University of Health Sciences.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
Content updated on Sep 2, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
- Sunburn
- Redness
- Hair is fragile and breaks easily in the area of the burn
- Leg rash
- The area is hot to touch
- In the area that was burnt, the hair breaks off easily
- Hand skin is dry
- Knee burn
- Burn in an area smaller than the palm
- Skin has heat
- There is a sore on the side
- Total area of burn larger than my back
- Burned body
- The lower leg feels hot
- Rash on the wrist
See full list
Symptoms Related to First Degree Burn
Diseases Related to First Degree Burn
FAQs
Q.
Painful Burn? Why Your Skin Is Still Damaging & Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Burns often keep damaging skin for hours after contact because residual heat spreads, inflammation rises, blood vessels are injured, and cells keep breaking down, so pain, redness, and swelling can worsen. Start medically recommended care fast with cool running water for 10 to 20 minutes not ice, gentle cleaning, petroleum jelly and a nonstick sterile bandage, pain control, and infection watch, and seek urgent care for larger or deep looking burns or those on the face, hands, feet, groin, or major joints, after chemicals or electricity, with breathing issues, or in young children or older adults; there are several factors to consider, and important details that can change your next steps are explained below.
References:
* Park JH, Park YC, Jang EJ, Kim JH. Burn wound progression: a review of the pathophysiology and therapeutic strategies. Burns Trauma. 2017 Mar 9;5:9. doi: 10.1186/s41038-017-0072-0. PMID: 28367351; PMCID: PMC5344312.
* Greenhalgh AA, Lawton P, Ghassemian J, Wiser J, Barbetta T. Updated Guidelines for the Management of Burn Injuries: A Review of the Literature. Dermatol Surg. 2021 Dec 1;47(12):e355-e362. doi: 10.1097/DSS.0000000000003260. PMID: 34215779.
* Abate A, Cazzaniga S, Stocchetti N, Brancato F, Citerio G. Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Strategies for Pain Management in Burn Patients: A Narrative Review. Life (Basel). 2023 Sep 19;13(9):1929. doi: 10.3390/life13091929. PMID: 37764654; PMCID: PMC10531584.
* Miller TJ, Stoddard GJ, Brown SM, Saffle JR, Hansen JS. Prevention and Management of Infection in Burn Patients. Surg Infect (Larchmt). 2017 Mar;18(2):206-213. doi: 10.1089/sur.2016.290. Epub 2017 Mar 13. PMID: 28301132.
* Al-Qattan MHH, Al-Qattan M, Al-Qattan M, Al-Qattan M. Topical agents and dressings for burn wounds: a literature review. Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2020 Mar 31;33(1):31-38. PMID: 32284755; PMCID: PMC7142079.
Q.
Using Rubbing Alcohol? Why Your Skin Isn’t Healing + Medically Approved Next Steps
A.
Rubbing alcohol can keep cuts, scrapes, and burns from healing by killing healthy cells, over drying the area, and increasing irritation; it is meant for intact skin and tools, not ongoing wound care. Instead, rinse with clean water and mild soap, keep the wound slightly moist with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, cover with a sterile dressing, and seek care for warning signs like spreading redness, pus, fever, or red streaks. There are several factors to consider. See below for details on when to avoid harsh antiseptics, how to treat minor burns, expected healing timelines, who should be extra cautious, and the exact signs that mean you should see a doctor.
References:
* Vogt PM, Reimer K. In vitro cytotoxicity of commonly used antiseptics on primary human fibroblasts. *WOUNDS*. 2011 May;23(5):125-32. PMID: 21673891. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673891/
* Moore Z, et al. Wound cleansing: a review of the evidence and recommendations for practice. *J Wound Care*. 2010 Sep;19(9):377-80, 382-4. PMID: 20859187. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20859187/
* Dumville JC, et al. Topical antiseptics for preventing surgical site infection. *Cochrane Database Syst Rev*. 2015 Mar 16;2015(3):CD003949. PMID: 25775452. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25775452/
* Mangram AJ, et al. The role of antiseptics in wound care. *Am J Infect Control*. 2013 May;41(5 Suppl):S12-7. PMID: 23622247. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23622247/
* Haryanti H, et al. The effect of antiseptics on skin regeneration in full-thickness wounds in rats. *Burns*. 2017 Aug;43(5):1070-1077. PMID: 28254425. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28254425/
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Ubie’s symptom checker demonstrated a Top-10 hit accuracy of 71.6%, surpassing the performance of several leading symptom checkers in the market, which averaged around 60% accuracy in similar assessments.
Link to full study:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.08.29.24312810v1References
Saeidinia, A., Keihanian, F., Lashkari, A. P., & Lahiji, H. G. (2017)
https://journals.lww.com/md-journal/fulltext/2017/03030/Partial_thickness_burn_wounds_healing_by_topical.22.aspxTiwari, V. K. (2012). Burn wound: How it differs from other wounds? Indian Journal of Plastic Surgery.
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/abstract/10.4103/0970-0358.101319Orgill, D. P., & Ogawa, R. (2013). Current methods of burn reconstruction. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.
https://journals.lww.com/plasreconsurg/FullText/2013/05000/Current_Methods_of_Burn_Reconstruction.49.aspx