Third-degree burns: healing and aftercare
You’ve experienced third-degree burns. After a difficult time in a hospital or burn centre, you’re back at home. Now is the time for healing – both physically and psychologically.
This article provides some advice on physical healing, particularly for limiting scar formation.
Scars are inescapable
It is, unfortunately, virtually impossible to avoid scarring from third-degree burns. Your skin is deeply damaged and important functions have been disturbed, in particular moisture control.
Your skin can no longer retain moisture. Yet, in order to limit scar formation as much as possible, this is precisely what it needs to do. So the skin finds and withdraws moisture from the deeper skin layers. However, this moisture evaporates immediately. As a result, your skin withdraws more moisture, which again evaporates. This vicious circle can worsen scarring.
The form, colour and size of your scar will also depend on your age, susceptibility and skin colour.
Follow the advice of your doctor
You will be advised by doctors and nurses, following your stay in hospital. Follow their advice as closely as possible. It will reduce the risk of (larger) scar formation.
After your burn wound has closed
You can start applying a scar cream once your third-degree burn wound is fully closed. Always consult your doctor about this! However – the sooner you start, the more you will limit scarring.
The 3 crucial characteristics of a good scar cream.
A good scar cream:
- Hydrates
- Softens scar tissue
- Restores moisture regulation
Many creams do not deliver effect no. 3. However, if a scar cream does not restore your skin’s ability to retain moisture, the other two benefits can also not be achieved.
The reason for this is as follows: If a cream only hydrates, the moisture that it introduces evaporates immediately. This has precisely the wrong effect: your scarred skin then dries out more rapidly, which can worsen the condition of the scar.
And dry skin is definitely not soft and smooth. A soft skin ensures that your wound heals and looks better. It also reduces pain (there is less ‘pulling’ sensation) and itching.
ALHYDRAN: the scar cream with proven effectiveness
ALHYDRAN scar cream possesses all of the above three crucial characteristics. This is not just a claim. We can support it with clinical studies and customer experiences.