Will I have permanent nerve damage in my nipple due to a burn?

Hi Anon,

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your question with the EmpowHER community! I'm so sorry to hear about your burn. I have had a few burns in the past and understand how painful and uncomfortable they can be.

Second-degree burns are more serious than first-degree burns as two layers of skin suffer the burn. Typically, second-degree burns will heal in 2-3 weeks. When the burn is larger, it may take more than 3 weeks to heal.

Even if your burn is itching or scratching, it is important to not itch or scratch it. Itching your burn will further irritate it and cause more time for it to heal. When your burn scabs up, that is it's way to heal itself. Be sure to not touch it too much or pick at the scab, as that can cause a mark to stay forever or a scar.

Here are some tips to treat your second-degree burn:

soak your burn in cool water for around 15-30 minutes
Talk to your doctor to find an antibiotic cream to rub regularly on your burn
Cover your burn with a dressing that is non-stick like Telfa, and hold it in place with tape or gauze
Wash your burn gently

If your burn continue to hurt and the scab looks like it is not healing correctly, contact your doctor to make sure there is no infection and it is healing properly.

This article is a great resource about the do's and don'ts of treating second-degree burns: https://www.empowher.com/burns/content/do-s-and-don-ts-treating-second-degree-burns.

I hope this helped! Please keep us updated on the recovery of your burn and let us know if you have further questions.