In daily life, even the most careful people can accidentally get burned. After a burn, many people tend to apply toothpaste immediately, but experts point out that this practice is not scientific.
Wang Genhui, Director of the Dermatology Department at Hebei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, explains that for first-degree and superficial second-degree burns, which only affect the epidermis and cause redness, swelling, pain, or blisters, applying toothpaste can have a certain astringent and anti-inflammatory effect. However, for deep second-degree and third-degree burns that damage the dermis, this method is ineffective. Moreover, the heat from the wound is trapped under substances like toothpaste, causing it to spread deeper into the subcutaneous tissue and potentially causing more severe burns. Additionally, while toothpaste may have an astringent effect on mild burns, it cannot alter vascular permeability or protect the wound. On the contrary, toothpaste can easily cause exudate to accumulate, breed bacteria, lead to infection, and even leave scars.
Wang Genhui advises that for burns caused by hot water, hot oil, or chemicals, the most timely, simple, and effective treatment is to rinse the burn directly with running tap water for at least 20 minutes or longer, or to immerse the affected area in cold water to cool the heat. This reduces residual heat from continuing to damage the skin tissue, alleviates pain, and decreases tissue swelling and blister formation. If the burn is severe or covers a large area, medical attention must be sought.