First aid for skin: How to treat cuts, burns and fungal infections

Our skin is the most sensitive part of our body which allows us to feel the most. Hence, it requires gentle care. Any sort of cuts or boils or rashes on the skin should be treated immediately either by approaching a dermatologist or using first aid. So, here are some first aid tips to keep your skin healthy.

Our skin is made up of several layers of sheets of cells and when we get a cut or scrape it happens on the surface layer that is epidermis. This layer being broken is what leads to blood or marks on your skin and hence, it is important to treat it the right way.

In our day-to-day lives, it is very easy to get a cut or a boil. You can get scratched as easily as when chopping vegetables or tripping while walking. So, there is no harm in knowing what first aid to apply during various situations. Make sure you always keep your kit stocked with these first aid supplies for quicker treatment.

Dr Jaishree Sharad, a Board Certified Dermatologist, shared some over-the-counter creams to treat various skin problems. Let’s take a look at them.

“Whenever there is a cut on the skin or an abrasion, the most common thing people do is apply Dettol. Dettol causes more irritation and will not allow the wound to heal early. I have also seen people apply raw turmeric paste on a burn which could again make the wound worse,” says Dr Sharad.

Here are some creams you could use for a quick first aid:

1. For cuts and wounds: Apply petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly moisturizes the wound. It prevents the cut from drying out or forming a scar. So, immediately after getting a cut, apply petroleum jelly.

2. For burns: Apply silver sulfadiazine. If you get a burn, then there has been an open wound created on your skin which is prone to infections. Silver sulfadiazine is a drug that helps in preventing infection in case of second or third degree burns.

3. For pus filled boils or bacterial infections: Apply mupirocin ointment. Boils is the work of bacterial infections and to fight them off you need to apply an anti-bacterial cream. That where mupirocin come in. It is made to fight of certain types of bacteria.

4. For fungal infections in the groin, feet, underarms: Use clotrimazole cream and avoid using any steroids. Clotrimazole is anti-fungal and thus helps in healing all types of skin functions caused by fungus.

5. For eczemas and itchy rashes: Apply 1 percent hydrocortisone. This is an anti-inflammatory medicine which allows to reduce itching and inflammation caused by insect bites or skin conditions like eczemas.

Also read: Preventing skin burns is NOW possible. Just follow these neat tricks

These are some SOS creams that will start the healing process until you reach your doctor for a proper medication or treatment, so take care of your skin and keep these things handy in your first aid kit!