It is estimated that every 25 seconds, someone in the United States is burned or scalded. Since the body holds heat, a burn can progress deeper into the dermis for up to three days if it is not cooled immediately. Aestheticians should be sensitive to the fact that burns, which are not cooled, can be painful. Furthermore, a burn may affect the overall experience of a treatment, thereby creating a negative feeling about the procedure. As an aesthetician, it is important to understand some key principles that can impact aesthetic skin therapy treatments. Here are 10 things every professional should know about burns:
- Burns are defined as injuries to the skin caused by contact with heat, chemicals, radiation, friction, flame or electricity.
- Reportable burns from beauty treatments are on the rise in the spa industry. Burns can result from beauty treatments such as laser hair reduction and wrinkle removal. Chemical burns may also occur with treatments such as hair coloring.
- Ethnic skin types are highly susceptible to burns. Specialized treatments must be used to prevent adverse burn outcomes.
- Burn progression can be stopped by cooling the burn site. The most effective and safest way to cool a burn is by cooling it with water or with a viscous hydrogel first aid burn product.
- First-degree burns are the most common burn injury that can occur in the spa industry. This burn is defined as affecting the epidermis only and causes swelling without blistering.
- Second-degree burns may also occur from spa treatments. These are defined as affecting the epidermis as well as the dermis and may even extend into the reticular dermis. This burn is also referred to as partial-thickness which appears as moist, mottled skin, usually pink or red, and blanches when pressure is applied. Blisters usually form as a result of this type of burn.
- Burned areas that have not been cooled should not be covered with products containing fats or greases. Fats and oil-based products will trap the heat in, thereby forcing the burn deeper into the tissue which causes the injury to progress.
- Post-treatment care of your clients should include a product that is cooling and soothing, reduces swelling, moisturizes, and naturally relieves the pain.
- Burn injuries can be compared to cooking a roast. A roast will continue to cook after it is removed from the oven. It will cook until it is cooled. The same applies to burns. A burn injury will continue to deepen as long as the wound is not cooled.
- Severe reactions have been known to occur with the application of lidocaine. As a result, many medical professionals will not use lidocaine on a burn, broken skin, or over large areas of skin because the client may not know if they are allergic to lidocaine.
The majority of burns that will occur as a result of aesthetic skin treatments will be very minor. However, appropriate treatment of all burns will result in a positive impact on your clientele and their overall impression of you and your facility.
As president of Exuro Medical, Karen Bond employs her diverse expertise to direct a wide range of company operations including marketing and regulatory affairs, global distribution and strategic partnerships for the company’s portfolio of innovative brands. Bond originally joined the BurnFree team in 1994 and her role quickly expanded as she later became president of BurnFree, helping lead its successful expansion into more than 50 countries. When BurnFree was acquired in 2011 and incorporated into Exuro Medical, the new ownership recognized Bond’s exceptional knowledge and capability by promoting her to her current role of president for the Exuro family of brands.
Want to read more?
Subscribe to one of our monthly plans to continue reading this article.