Contact & burn assessment

If you are worried now

Cool the area under cool running water for about twenty minutes if the treatment was recent, cover it loosely, and then contact your treating team. Say when the treatment was, which device class was used, which area was treated, and what you are seeing. If the finding is blistering, skin that is white, grey, leathery or black, loss of sensation, or pain that keeps worsening after the first day, go to the nearest emergency department immediately rather than waiting for a reply. This website is not an emergency channel and is not monitored as one.

When to come in

A reaction that is settling is reviewed at the interval your team planned. A burn that is blistering, deep-looking, over a joint or the face, or showing signs of infection is seen immediately rather than at a planned review. If you are unsure which you are looking at, describe what you see on the telephone and let the team decide, rather than deciding for yourself that it can wait.

What to bring

Bring any record of the treatment — the device class, the area treated and the date — and say whether the treatment was intended to act at the surface or to remove it. Bring a list of your medication, and photographs taken over the days since treatment, which show the direction the injury is moving in. If you do not know which device was used, say so.

What the assessment covers

The examination reads depth from the colour and sensation of the skin and how the surface behaves, records the size and the site, and looks for signs of infection. You should leave with clear answers: whether this is a reaction or a burn, how deep it appears to be, where it will be managed, what the dressing plan is, and when it will be reviewed.

Fees, records and privacy

This site does not quote prices, because the plan depends on the findings and is discussed directly at consultation. What was seen and what was done is documented so that the record follows you, and photographs taken at each visit are what allows healing to be judged rather than remembered. Clinical photographs are not published or used for teaching without a separate consent you are free to refuse.