Is my son's small hot oil burn safe to manage at home?

[Oilburnadvice]

Hello

We are away on holiday and DS(21) has stayed at home. He has rang this morning to say he has burnt himself with hot oil on the back of his hand at 11pm last night (cooking)

I think this looks ok to manage at home as it’s small, no pain, he can move everything, no dark discolouration, skin feels sore near it.

Any opinions if this is ok
Thank you

Image pending

Depends - approx size? If it’s blistered? In minor injuries they may deroof it (pop it, remove fluid & take off dead skin) then dress with jelonet (greasy non adhesive dressing) and cover with gauze & bandage

keep clean & dry

you can get the dressings from pharmacy and do it yourself and monitor for infection

It is the size of a penny

If he goes to a pharmacy they will be able to advise him and give him the correct dressing if he needs one.

Thank you @2dogsandabudgie @socksandshoos i will get him to a pharmacy at least - hopefully you can see image soon

Bumping as image has been approved

I am sure he will be fine but he is 21! Can he not manage this himself?

I know when do kids grow up nowadays, 25, 30? Jeez

It's fine. Leave it alone, don't pop it. Cover with a burn plaster to protect it. It'll heal in a few weeks.

If he's worried, I'd suggest going to pharmacy. As others have said though, he's 21, he knows how bad it feels and if he needs extra help.

At 21 I'm a bit 🤐that he isn't googling and sorting this all himself but here we are.

First aid training dictates that anything bigger than a 2p coin or partial or full thickness burns, or that have blisters at all should have medical attention (we would send to A&E). So according to official advice, he should go to A&E.

Unofficially as a worldly-wise person, I'd wipe it carefully with an alcohol wipe, pop the blister with a sterilised sharp sewing needle, drain it and put a plaster on it. And I know that many on mumsnet will be HORRIFIED at the thought of this.

A sensible middle ground would be for him to see a pharmacist or a walk in centre. But bear in mind their training may be to send him to A&E.

It sounds like he would benefit from going on a basic first aid course himself.

I've got a burn far worse than that on my thumb, very hot cooking oil all my own stupid fault.

Do not pop it or be tempted to mess with it.,He just needs to leave it alone. It swells up like a water filled balloon, then it subsides and the skin dries up and can be removed slowly. It takes a couple of days.

FFS do not go to A&E with this, just leave it alone.

Send him to a local pharmacy for advice and any recommended treatment, or minor injuries.

Wouldn't dream of a and e for that. Sudocrem and large plaster. If he's worried a hydrocolloid patch.
He should know all this by 21.

Unless he has SN, I can’t believe he rang you on holidays about this? And you seem to have entertained it.

Does he have additional needs ?

I think the advice used to be ok if smaller than a 50p. NHS website likely can advise.

This looks fine to manage at home. Just tell him go pharmacy and they will give him some cream.

Only on Mumsnet should any person need advise from any other adult at all for anything after the age of 18. Does it not occur to people that this young man may not have had a burn like this before? Would they advise him to not ask about these things and leave it and develop an infection? I think not.

OP, my son had a similar burn last year (he is a Chef and he was 20 at the time). It was a bit larger and looked angrier and the local Minor Injuries did open it to remove the stuff inside, dressed it and checked it a week later.

Definitely seeing the local Pharmacist for advise is a good shout here.

When the image gets approved, I got this burn a few nights ago. It blistered and popped instantly. I’m just looking after it bc at home, watching for signs of infection, etc and this looks a lot larger than your sons. I think he should just keep it clean and watch for infection but if he’s at all unsure, pop to a pharmacy and ask for advise.

Photo marked as sensitive in case anyone doesn’t like these sorts of images!

Hello many thanks for the replies and further validation my advice to manage this at home

This happened at 11pm last night and it didn’t blister at first. He had ‘dealt’ with it by running under water and already rang 111 shots advised home to go to a treatment center. He only rang me to let me know this morning at 530!

As many have said I did not think this warranted medical attention, yes had worse myself but wanted to check as back of hand you have thin skin and an area looked a bit white (top right) and was concerned about deeper tissue damage.

He is reportedly fine and probably fast asleep enjoy us not nagging him to get up.

I have ordered dressing from Amazon and he knows to go if it worsens somehow

Not necessarily. Sometimes the blister shrinks down into a thickened scab that the wound can’t heal beneath and needs debriding.

@PixieFairySprite
The OP is away on holidays. She has had to turn to MN for advice. Now she has to advise her 21 year old to go to a pharmacy. I am certainly not of the view held by many on MN that once a child turns 18 they are expected to manage their whole lives without a single minute of parental guidance and advice and support but surely by 21 a young adult could manage a minor medical issue on their own.

I know. I wrote: 'does it not occur to people that this young man may not have had a burn like this before?'

I don't think it's up to us to decide on behalf of the OP whether she should be irritated that her son is asking for her opinion about this while she is on holiday. Do you?

I think the OP should be glad that her son has asked, and I am sure she would far rather he checked with her.

Had the OP's son developed an infection under these same circumstances, I reckon you'd say 'oh, well, he's an idiot for not checking with you or seeking medical advise.'

You're not actually here to help anyone. Why did you post?

Tell him not to pop it, the liquid is healing the skin underneath