Dying and bleaching hair involves strong chemicals, which occasionally cause burns of varying severity. You can treat many of these burns at home, but some require medical care. Always follow the first three steps below, and use them to determine if you need to see a doctor. As with a heat burn, a chemical burn will continue burning until you remove the substance burning the skin. To prevent burns, always wear gloves, work in a well-ventilated area and follow package instructions precisely.
Step 1
Stop using the product, take off contaminated gloves and remove any clothing that the chemical has touched. If you have a cap over your hair to accelerate the dying process, remove that cap immediately, taking care not to let your hair touch your skin.
Step 2
Put the affected body part under cool running water for at least 20 minutes. Avoid letting the runoff drip onto other parts of your body. For burned eyes, turn your head sideways and allow the water to drip across them.
Step 3
Look at your burn, and determine its severity based on size, depth and location. Burns to the eyes, face, hands, feet and genitals present a more serious threat than equal-sized burns to other parts of the body. Red skin signals a superficial burn, which you may treat at home. If you have blisters, blackened or whitened skin, or bleeding, seek medical attention right away.
Step 4
Keep the burn clean, and cover with a loose sterile bandage to let the body heal itself. Avoid burn ointments because they may seal off the burn and allow bacteria to grow while inhibiting healing.
Tips and Warnings
- Seek medical attention if you are unsure about the extent of your burns or how to treat them. If swelling or pain continues, visit the emergency room.
- Seek medical attention for burns to the eyes, hands, feet, face and genitalia. If you noticed a chemical smell and you cough or become hoarse, seek medical attention right away because you may have burned your airway. A chemical burn of this type may seem insignificant but can prove fatal if your airway swells.
Things You'll Need
- Cool running water
- Mirror
References
- "EMT Complete: A Basic Worktext"; Daniel Limmer and Christopher Le Baudour; 2007
- Oklahoma State University: Responding to Chemical Burns
