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Is Redness Around Healing Second Degree Burns Normal?

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Posted on Fri, 24 Apr 2015
Question: My daughter has a second degree burn that burst yesterday, so I cut away the dead blistered skin. The new skin is very red, is this normal? She is currently on oral antibiotics because if the burn as well as having flamazine cream to cover the burn ( then it is wrapped in gauze). How red is acceptable, for the new skin? It isn't swollen and does not have any sign of infection ( other than looking red).
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (45 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Redness is expected

Detailed Answer:
Hi and welcome to HCM.
After 2nd degrees burns, redness is expected during wound healing,especially in first 3-4 days since this is period of intensive inflammatory process.
. New tissue below blister is normally red and during epitelization it will become more or less like normal skin colour depending on depth of burn.
If this is first day after burn,then it is still too early to talk about infection,since infection can develop in first 48 hours after incident.
So I dont think this is abnormal healing or infection especially if there is no redness spreading outside of burned area, but you should wait 1-2 more days to definitely rule out infection. Also, if she is covered with antibiotics and wound is kept clean there there the treatment would be same even if there is a bacterial infection.

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich

General Surgeon

Practicing since :2008

Answered : 13886 Questions

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Is Redness Around Healing Second Degree Burns Normal?

Brief Answer: Redness is expected Detailed Answer: Hi and welcome to HCM. After 2nd degrees burns, redness is expected during wound healing,especially in first 3-4 days since this is period of intensive inflammatory process. . New tissue below blister is normally red and during epitelization it will become more or less like normal skin colour depending on depth of burn. If this is first day after burn,then it is still too early to talk about infection,since infection can develop in first 48 hours after incident. So I dont think this is abnormal healing or infection especially if there is no redness spreading outside of burned area, but you should wait 1-2 more days to definitely rule out infection. Also, if she is covered with antibiotics and wound is kept clean there there the treatment would be same even if there is a bacterial infection.