How To Get Rid Of Rug Burn

How To Get Rid Of Rug Burn
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Copyright © 2022 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. // Leaf Group Lifestyle
A rug burn is a form of first degree burn caused by friction. With a rug burn, the friction that is generated from the contact between the skin and the rug generates a mild amount of heat. This heat causes damage to the tissue in the top layer of skin. Rug burns and other types of first degree burns rarely cause any serious medical problems, but they can be quite painful 1 . There are a variety of ways to treat a rug burn.
Remove clothing or jewelry from the burned part of the body. This is an important part of treating first degree burns, Pennsylvania State's Medical Center explains, because it makes it easier to get access to the burned tissue and also prevents any other materials to contact the burn, which can make the pain worse 1 .
Apply cool water to the burn for five to ten minutes. This can be achieved by running cool or cold water over the burn or by submerging the burned portion of the body in cold water, MedLinePlus states 2 . Alternately, a rag or washcloth can be soaked in cold water and applied to the burn. The cool water helps dissipate the heat from the friction, which keeps the burn from getting worse. It is important not to use ice or ice water, as the extreme cold will actually make the burn worse.
Wash the burn with an antiseptic cleanser. This will help prevent bacteria from infecting the damaged tissue.
Cover the burn with a dry and sterile protective covering, such as a gauze pad. This will help protect the burned area and allow it to heal more easily. It is important to not apply any bandages with adhesive to the burn, Pennsylvania State's Medical Center explains, as this can restrict airflow to the burn, slowing the healing process 1 .
Keep the burned area protected from friction and pressure. While the damaged skin is healing, it is more delicate than it would normally be and can easily be damaged by more friction or burning. Whenever possible, patients with rug burns should keep a gauze pad or some other protective covering over the burn to prevent additional injury.
Use ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen to relieve pain. Rug burns can be painful but these over-the-counter medications are generally adequate for the treatment of pain from friction burns, MedLinePlus explains 2 .
Check the burned area at least once each day for signs of worsening redness or infection. One of the greatest risks of a first degree burn is that bacteria can infiltrate the damaged skin, leading to a painful and potentially dangerous infection. Signs of an infection include worsening pain, expanding areas of swelling or redness and the appearance of pus or other liquid seeping from the burn.
Do not give aspirin to children under the age of 12, as this can lead to a dangerous condition known as Reye Syndrome.
Adam Cloe has been published in various scientific journals, including the "Journal of Biochemistry." He is currently a pathology resident at the University of Chicago. Cloe holds a Bachelor of Arts in biochemistry from Boston University, a M.D. from the University of Chicago and a Ph.D. in pathology from the University of Chicago.

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Rod Brouhard is an emergency medical technician paramedic (EMT-P), journalist, educator, and advocate for emergency medical service providers and patients.
Michael Menna, DO, is a board-certified, active attending emergency medicine physician at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York.

Rug burn refers to an injury that describes scraping off layers of skin. A more correct term would be friction burn since there's no real difference between the damage done through friction with a carpet or any other surface. Another name is road rash —commonly used when a combination of asphalt and high speeds is the cause.

Even though a rug burn could be referred to as (and is essentially a form of) a skin abrasion, the depth, and severity of the injury require that it be treated very similarly to other types of burns (thermal or electrical, for example).

The hallmark of a friction burn is damage to the skin over a wide area. The area will be red, raw, and could be bleeding or weeping fluid. The biggest difference between a rug burn and road rash is how dry the injury is.

Rug burns are usually much drier. Road rash is more likely to weep. The difference could have something to do with the fibrous nature of rugs and carpets versus the harder surfaces of gravel and asphalt. Besides the obvious physical injury, the biggest symptom of a rug burn is pain.

All burns cause injury to the skin, which consists of three layers of tissue : epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous. The surface of the skin is the epidermis, which is the layer that is always damaged or missing in a burn injury.

Deeper burns can extend into the dermis, where most of the nerve endings and hair follicles are located. The deepest burns extend into, or through, the subcutaneous, a layer of fatty tissue under the dermis.

Friction burns account for about 1% to 2% of all types of burns. Statistics on the different surfaces that cause friction burns—rug burns, road rash, treadmills, etc.—are not readily available. Anything that can rub off layers of skin can cause a friction burn.

Carpets or rugs are well-known culprits. A more modern growing cause of friction burn is the treadmill, which can be particularly damaging to kids. Luckily, in most cases, treatment is fairly straightforward.

The severity of friction burns, like all burns, is measured through a combination of the depth of the burn—how many layers of skin are involved—and the overall size of the burn as measured in percent of body surface area injured. Burn depth is expressed in degrees of burn:

Burns of any type that only include first-degree injuries are not considered severe. When looking at a burn area, only count second or third degree. Certain types of burns are considered more severe than others based on the body part that is affected. Burns of the hands, feet, face, and genitalia are treated as severe burns.

Different types of burns have unique characteristics and complications. For example, rug burns can happen to hands, feet, face, and genitalia, but in the case of facial injury, rug burns do not come with the same types of complications that thermal burns do.

In other words, a patient is not in danger of inhaling super-heated air when getting a rug burn the way they could when getting a thermal burn.

Rug burns are treated much the same way as other types of burns:

Any rug burn on the hands and feet, especially the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet, that is large enough to interfere with function should be seen by a doctor. Also, see a doctor for any rug burns to the face or genitals, or any burn deeper than first degree that covers an area bigger than a whole thigh.

For first-degree friction burns, you can use an over-the-counter antibacterial ointment with a local anesthetic for pain relief. Rug burns expose multiple small nerve endings and can be particularly painful, even with minor wounds. 1 Avoid putting any other lotions on the burn until it heals.

First-degree friction burns should take about a week to heal. Second and third-degree burns take longer to heal, may require skin grafts, and depending on the severity, may cause scarring. 2

Anyone who grew up with wall-to-wall carpet and was prone to wrestling matches with siblings is well acquainted with rug burns. Unlike thermal burns, they don't keep getting worse after the initial injury. Rug burns are common injuries and are not life-threatening.

Most of the time, you can treat them yourself right in your home. The most dangerous modern friction burns come from kids and treadmills. Be very careful with children around treadmills and make sure to take all the precautions to keep your child from turning on a treadmill when you're not there.

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Hoogenboom BJ, Smith D. Management of bleeding and open wounds in athletes . Int J Sports Phys Ther . 2012;7(3):350-355.
U.S. National Library of Medicine. MedlinePlus. Burn evaluation .
Davidson CC, Eadie PA. Burning more than calories: treadmill friction injuries in children . Irish Medical Journal . 2009;102(10):320-3. doi:10.1007/s11552-007-9046-2
Jeremijenko L, Mott J, Wallis B, Kimble R. Paediatric treadmill friction injuries . Journal Of Paediatrics And Child Health , 2009;45(5), 310-312. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1754.2008.01329.x
Klotz T, Kurmis R, Munn Z, Heath K, Greenwood J. Moisturisers in scar management following burn: A survey report . Burns . 2017;43(5), 965-972. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2017.01.021.
Menon S, Ward D, Harvey J, Hei E, Holland A. Friction burns in children . Journal Of Burn Care & Research. 2012;33(6), 736-740. doi:10.1097/bcr.0b013e3182504469
Ortiz-Prado E, Armijos L, Iturralde, A. A population-based study of the epidemiology of acute adult burns in Ecuador from 2005 to 2014 . Burns . 2015;41(3), 582-589. doi:10.1016/j.burns.2014.08.012.
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Do not apply ice or butter to the burned area. This can cause tissue damage and promote infection and other complications.
If your rug burn is bigger than a handprint or on your face, hands or other sensitive parts of your body, you should seek medical treatment to prevent infection.
Copyright © 2022 Leaf Group Ltd., all rights reserved. // Leaf Group Lifestyle
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The information contained on this site is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a professional health care provider. Please check with the appropriate physician regarding health questions and concerns. Although we strive to deliver accurate and up-to-date information, no guarantee to that effect is made.
A rug burn is a type of friction burn, which comes from the damage caused by the force of your skin rubbing against a surface 1 . Rugs burns are among the most common type of friction burn. Like any other sort of burn, treatment of a rug burn depends on the severity of the burn injury and the location 1 . Large rug burns, or those located on sensitive areas such as the face, hands or feet should be attended to by a medical professional to prevent infection and other complications 1 .
Run cool water over the rug burn to remove any debris or foreign objects, avoiding infection 1 . The cool water will reduce the burning sensation in the burned area. You can also dampen a clean cloth and fold it until it is the size of the rug burn 1 . Press it to the burn injury to relieve pain symptoms.
Consider applying burn cream to the burned area to speed healing, prevent infection and avoid scarring. If you do not have burn cream available, try aloe vera lotion or gel. You can also try an antibiotic cream, such as Neosporin. An over-the-counter pain reliever, like acetaminophen, can also take care of most of the pain associated with a rug burn 1 .
Prevent further irritation to the burned area by applying a loosely wrapped gauze bandage. The bandage should be clean and sterile. You could also use a clean cloth if a gauze bandage is not available.
Seek medical treatment for a serious rug burn, or one that affects more than one layer of skin 1 . These are more prone to infection than minor ones. You should also seek medical treatment if you have an immune deficiency. Even if your minor rug burn has been healing on its own, you should see a doctor if you notice the burn injury leaking pus or experience an increase in pain over time 1 . These are signs of an infection.
Do not apply ice or butter to the burned area. This can cause tissue damage and promote infection and other complications.
If your rug burn is bigger than a handprint or on your face, hands or other sensitive parts of your body, you should seek medical treatment to prevent infection.
Michaele Curtis began writing professionally in 2001. As a freelance writer for the Centers for Disease Control, Nationwide Insurance and AT&T Interactive, her work has appeared in "Insurance Today," "Mobiles and PDAs" and "Curve Magazine." Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Louisiana State University.

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