I burned myself with a curling iron. Will it leave a scar?

Question

Hello doctor,

I burned myself with a curling iron. It did not appear bad at first, but a scab is forming. Will the burn leave a scar?

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I have gone through the clinical images (attachment removed to protect patient identity). It appears to be a superficial burn, but there is a risk of a superficial scar. It will not be very prominent and can go with time as you grow.

I suggest you apply some ointment like Polysporin (Polymixin and Bacitracin) twice a day for early healing, prevention of infection, and subsequent prevention of scarring. Usually, burns that heal within 10 to 14 days hardly leave any scar.

Do not apply any steroid-containing ointment. I suggest you get yourself examined by a local dermatologist for better care.

Hope this helps you, and get back if you have any doubts.

For more information, consult an internal medicine physician online.

Thank you.

Answer 2

Hello,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

More appropriately, it appears to be a superficial partial thickness burn where, along with the epidermis, some parts of the dermis are damaged. However, the exact depth of the burn can be known from examination only. This becomes evident after 24 to 48 hours, which happened in your case.

Initially, there is no blistering; there is some damage to blood vessels as well, leading to the accumulation of plasma, proteins, and some cells, which leads to scab formation. As I said, scarring is not usual, but some amount of pigmentation may persist, which may minimize with time.

Hope this helps.

For further queries consult an internal medicine physician online.