Aloe Vera, the Burn Plant

This Easter, (2011) I rediscovered my aloe vera, the burn plant, and what a miracle-worker it is for second-degree burns. Have you got time for my story?

My brother Tom lives in my city, but in an apartment of his own. He is disabled and lives in a wheelchair. On holidays I usually prepare a meal at home, and take it over to his apartment to share with him. (It's only a five minute drive and easier than trying to cook in his not-so-clean kitchen). After we had enjoyed our hot turkey and mashed potatoes meal, and mixed vegetables, I did dishes (after I'd cleaned his sink). Then I spied his coffee maker and saw how grundgy it looked.

What's a few more minutes? I grabbed it and started to scrub it down. Somehow without realizing it, I had flicked the switch to on, and when I put my left hand down on the element to steady it while I scrubbed the other side, Whew! My hand flew up fast as soon as I was aware of the heat.

I watched my skin curl back in white crepe-like wrinkles, exposing a very raw-red area in the middle!

Usually I reach for an ice cube to cool a kitchen burn until the affected nerves settle down from the shock. But Tom didn't have any ice. He produced a cold gel pack, and I held it against the burn for a moment while I looked around and assessed what to do.

Obviously, this was going to hurt worse and worse yet this evening. I had better get myself home and to my aloe vera, the burn plants. If that didn't help I might have to take myself to Emergency at the hospital, but I suddenly yearned for my aloe vera plants. I gathered up my dishes into my carrying bag, said good bye and hurried home. I had nothing over my burn on the drive home and the pain was increasing minute by minute.

I dropped my purse and bag of dishes as soon as I was in the back door and head straight for the large aloe vera, the burn plant my friend Rosalie had given me. It couldn't bear it's own weight so I had leaned it against a mirror and had been cutting of it's broad healthy leaves and eating the gel straight or putting it into the blender when baking, but it wasn't all used up yet.

With a kitchen knife I cut off a length of almost three inches of a leaf that was about two inches wide. Back in the kitchen I wiped the outside with a piece of paper towel, then sliced the piece up from the side. Quickly I cupped it over the burn side of my left hand. --"Ah-h-h!" How good that felt! The cool gel fed the moisture-thirsty wound, and calmed the pain right down.

Now, how do I keep it there? I prowled around looking for something suitable, and grabbed up a headband from the bedroom. A couple of crossed-over twists and it was wrapped over my hand and the aloe vera leaf three times. However, that was still loose enough that I feared the aloe vera leaf would slip out. I found elastic bandages in the bathroom. The kind you wrap around and around an arm or leg. I wound an old strip of such elastic bandaging around my hand and felt quite pleased. If I didn't bend my hand so that the wound had to bend, then I was pain-free.

Well, there was still clean-up work to do in the kitchen. Left over turkey to put away, the bones to toss back in the roaster and to simmer in the oven for stock soup, and my cooking dishes to wash. I managed to do all that, using the fingers of my left hand to hold things while my right hand did most of the work. (I was born left-handed but have become more ambidexterous over the last couple of decades). Later I sat at the computer and tried to catchup on my backlog of emails.

This photo shows how the wound looked when I unwrapped it the next morning. The white creped skin had flattened out some and seemed to be attaching itself back to the red layer below. Letting the air at it made it sting with some pain again, so I just cut a fresh chunk of aloe vera leaf, opened it up, and made my wrappings neater. I was also afraid of bumping the burn side of my hand as I went to work, so I managed to cut a nicer length of better quality elastic wrap, which was not quite so bulky, and then I got a hand-wrist brace out and put it over my hand with the velcro strips. There. Now I could still work at the computer with my fingers but pamper my burn safely.

By Wednesday morning, the burn had improved quite a bit. However, I was wondering if it would be better for it to remain exposed to air for faster healing. Now the air actually felt quite comfortable on it. So I went to the internet to see what would be recommended.

Imagine my surprise when I found some sites with photos of burns that were similar to mine and they said this was a second-degree burn! They strongly urged going to the doctor, and that a tetanus shot might be in order.

Well, I like to do the right thing - so I called my doctor's office and made an appointment for right after lunch. I took the precaution of hunting up my tetanus card from three years ago when my cat scratched me up bad. The card said that it was good for ten years, and I've heard that if you can't prove when you last had one, you might end up getting another tetanus shot. I sure didn't want an unneccesary one!

But my doctor was very pleased with how the wound was doing when I told him my story. He gave me a small sample tube of antibiotic ointment, and let me go. I squeezed a lot of the ointment on the wound when I got back to the office, and wrapped it up again - for safety's sake.

After work I went to a drugstore and bought some large bandages and a package of no-stick gauzes. For the next few days I just smeared some aloe vera gel over the wound, laid on a gauze and then a big bandage. I was afraid the bandage might fall off when I bent my hand, so as an extra precaution, I cut a length of discarded pantyhose, snipped a hole for my thumb, and slipped it over my hand, just to hold the bandage in place. I used the hand/wrist brace just for walking to and from the office, in case I fell and landed on my hand, but otherwise everyone at the office was amazed at how well my hand was healing.

By Sunday was tickled to see how few people noticed my hand. Only those that I showed it to and told my story too, were even aware of my small crisis. The flesh-coloured pantyhose over the bandage was comfortable and unobtrusive in public.

It is now three weeks later, and I've nearly forgotten the incident. I've had to remind myself several times in the past week or so, to take another photo and write up this story for the encouragement it can be to you and others who are searching for how to cope with such a burn.

At present there is still a reddish colour and some tough, scaled skin in the center, but no pain at all, and I expect I shall not even have a scar! Aloe vera is just that good! No wonder it's known as aloe vera the burn plant.

I have found a doctor's testimonial on his discoveries and experiements with aloe vera, the burn plant. He describes using and recommending aloe vera to his patients.

I've also found an article that I have permission to reprint, which explains some research that proves that aloe vera is more effective, and just how it prevents scabs and scars from forming. Here's the guest article on aloe vera aids burn treatment

Say! Have you got a story and photos too, of how aloe vera healed a serious burn? If you are willing to share it, I'll put it up as another testimonial to aloe vera, the burn plant here on this site. Just follow the instructions below.

How has aloe vera healed a serious burn for you?

Do you have a great story about a burn and how aloe vera helped or healed you? Share it and I'll turn it into a page like this. Photos are always a great help as well.

Enter Your Title

Tell Us Your Story! [ ? ]

Close Help Entering your story is easy to do. Just type!... Your story will appear on a Web page exactly the way you enter it here. You can wrap a word in square brackets to make it appear bold. For example [my story] would show as my story on the Web page containing your story. TIP: Since most people scan Web pages, include your best thoughts in your first paragraph.

Upload 1-4 Pictures or Graphics (optional) [ ? ]

Close Help Do you have some pictures or graphics to add? Great! Click the button and find the first one on your computer. Select it and click on the button to choose it. Then click on the link if you want to upload up to 3 more images.

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Click here to upload more images (optional)

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Add a Picture/Graphic Caption (optional) 

Author Information (optional)

To receive credit as the author, enter your information below.

Your Name	(first or full name)
Your Location	(ex. City, State, Country)

Submit Your Contribution

Check box to agree to these submission guidelines.

(You can preview and edit on the next page)

Aloe Vera products through Forever Living




More & Deeper

Aloe Vera Tips & Solutions - my monthly newsletter/ezine, which keeps you informed of new things on this site, and brings out a tip or solution to some problem you may be encountering. Subscribe today!

Aloe Vera Plants by Mail - First results of my experiment to see what's involved in sending aloe vera plants by mail, showing photos of the one that went the farthest and is the healthiest. Includes eight photos.

ALVEDAMA - Aloe Vera da Medeira - how the Cowens grow and sell their aloe vera on the island of Madeira, just off the coast of Portugal.

Aloe Vera Hair Tonic, Balsam and Gel - Peter Cowen of Calhoune, on the island of Madeira, shares a wonderful tesitmonial to their Aloe Vera Hair Tonic, Balsam and Gel products.

Aloe Vera, the Burn Plant - and how I proved it for myself with a second degree burn on my left hand on Easter Sunday. (A photo story).

Aloe Vera Aids Burn Treatment, Wound Healing And Scars - a guest article to explain some of the technical aspects of how this happens.

Freezing Aloe Vera - I've tried freezing the aloe vera gel, hoping to use it later, but that seems to kill the good stuff in it, as I found it looked too yukky when I tried to defrost it to use, however I discuss the pros and cons on this page.

Eating My Aloe Vera - just now I'm eating a large plant that is falling over in a hurry, but also thinking about help for those can't get access to such plants easily.

Back to Eden and Herbal Books Bookstore

Bacterial Vaginosis - and other vaginal irritations can be cured naturally for once and for all.

Plantain - thank God - it's so handy! - A review of the things I've learned about plantain and the many ways to use it as a healing remedy.

Calendula, Marigold - My discoveries and experiences with calendula and how to make an ointment from this herb.

Mint - the Refreshing and Soothing Herb - Mint is one of my most favourite herbs, especially for a refreshing tea that soothes away gas and pain and rattled nerves.

Comfrey - to Close up Your Wounds - Comfrey is the plant that can knit or close up your wounds and put you back together. Comfrey has an excellent effect on inward bruises and pains. A poultice of the fresh leaves is excellent for gangrenous sours, gangrene, mortifications, and moist ulcers.

Herbal Teas - Simple instructions for how to prepare herbal teas, and for different quanties, with links to many old recipes.

Specific Benefits of the Herbs in the Herbal Teas - A quick summary page of herbal benefits to check when deciding which herbal tea blend to make, and want to know what each herb may do for you.

Natural Arthritis Remedies - Natural arthritis remedies and suggestions for a cleanse of the toxins and poisons which cause that intense pain - which could cure you of all arthritis pain.

Odd Cure for Bad Breath - Bad breath can be prevented, perhaps even cured by drinking tea, plus a few other odd cures.

Teas for Colds and Flu Remedies - Recipes for infusions or herbal teas for colds and flu remedies.

Teas to Aid in Good Digestion - Recipes for herbal teas that will help to digest one's food better.

Herbal Teas for Energy and Memory - Recipes for herbal teas for energy and memory to give new vitality and improve your memory skills.

Teas for Relaxing, to Give You Rest - Recipes for herbal teas for relaxing, infusions that will make it easier for you to rest.

Herbal Teas that Heal - Recipes for herbal teas that are able to heal or improve symptoms of more specific health problems.

Teas That Heal - Brewing Recipes - More teas that heal - brewing recipes that have a similar brewing method..

Herbal Tea Remedy e-Book - ready to download

- Holistic Therapies for Animals - see what Dena Schwartz has found to work with animals as well as people.

Key Aloe Product Sources:
Forever Living AoK Puritan's Pride AoK Organic Ease, Inc.