If you burn yourself, the first thing to do is determine how severe the burn is. If you experience blistering when you have been burned, which usually occurs several minutes after the burn has occurred, you have most likely suffered a second-degree burn, which is considered to be a minor burn. You can treat a minor burn at home, but see a doctor if you have trouble breathing or see black or white charring on your body due to the burn.
Cool the burn blisters. The burn can be cooled by running cool water over the afflicted area for approximately five minutes. Continue running water over the burn until the pain decreases.
Place a cold compress on the burn blisters. If you are still experiencing pain from the burn, or cool water is not readily available, place a paper towel over your burn and put a cold compress on top. Do not treat the burn directly with ice, as it can further damage the very sensitive burned skin.
Wrap the afflicted area in a sterile gauze bandage. The bandage will keep the burn from getting infected and keep dirt out of the area. Gently wrap the sterile gauze around the area and hold in place with medical tape.
Take ibuprofen. Most likely, you will still feel some pain and pressure from the burn blisters, so take ibuprofen as directed until the pain subsides.
See a doctor. If you are still suffering from pain due to your second-degree burns after two weeks, see a doctor for additional treatment, including prescription salves and creams to soothe the burn.