Having worked as a burn specialist for almost 30 years, I often hear the question? What should I do after a burn? The skin is the first physical barrier of a person and once broken such as abrasions or burns, it can easily become infected. The surgical principle is that the wound should be treated antiseptically within 6 hours and no later than 12 hours. The basic principle of treatment is to clean the wound and surrounding skin with antiseptic solution, followed by dressing with appropriate oiled gauze or antibacterial ointment plus thicker sterile gauze (because the first exudation will be more). Small traumas can be treated without oral antibiotics, much less intravenous antibiotics. Emphasis on timely first treatment is key! If the burn is fresh (within half an hour), the first treatment should be a cold water shower.