What Should I Do if My Fingertip Is Whitened and Painful after Being Burned?

A finger that has been scalded and turned white, accompanied by severe pain, usually belongs to a mild burn, known as a first-degree burn. This can be relieved through methods such as staying away from the heat source, rinsing with cold water, applying ice packs, and applying aloe vera gel. Only the epidermis is affected, with the injured skin appearing red and swollen, accompanied by intense pain, tenderness, and possible exudate or edema. When gently pressed, the injured area may turn white, but there are no blisters, and appropriate self-treatment is possible.

1. Stay Away from the Heat Source - First, quickly move away from the heat source and carefully remove any clothing from the burned area to expose the wound. If the clothing is stuck to the skin and cannot be removed, use scissors to cut it off without forcibly pulling it to avoid further injuring the wound.

2. Rinse with Cold Water - After the finger is scalded by hot oil, hot soup, boiling water, etc., it should be immediately rinsed under cold water until the skin surface no longer feels hot. Cold water rinsing helps to cool the skin surface, prevent the burn from spreading, and also has the effect of relieving pain, reducing fluid exudation and swelling, and avoiding or reducing the formation of blisters. It is important to control the water pressure to prevent skin breakage and infection caused by the water jet.

3. Apply Ice Packs - After rinsing with cold water, the finger may still experience pain due to the burn. To relieve this, you can soak the finger in cold water for half an hour or wrap an ice pack in a towel and apply it to the affected area. This can slow down nerve conduction, reduce neural excitability, and increase the pain threshold, thereby relieving or eliminating the pain.

4. Apply Aloe Vera Gel - Aloe vera has good anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which are beneficial for treating burns and scalds, and can also help relieve pain. Therefore, after the burned finger has been treated with cold water, a layer of aloe vera gel can be applied to provide relief. If the burn area is large or the burn is deep, immediate medical attention is recommended after initial first-aid measures have been taken.