First Aid for Cuts, Burns and Sprains: What to Actually Do at Home
Most small injuries happen at home, not in a hospital. Learn the exact NHS-backed first steps for a cut, a burn and a sprain, and when to get urgent help instead.
A cut from a kitchen knife, a splash of hot tea, a twisted ankle on the stairs. These small injuries happen in almost every home, and what you do in the first few minutes often matters more than anything a doctor does afterwards. Yet many people reach for the wrong thing out of habit: butter on a burn, ice straight onto skin, or no first aid at all.
Here is what health authorities actually recommend for the three most common home injuries, and the warning signs that mean you need more than a bandage.
Cuts and grazes
Stop the bleeding
Wash and dry your hands first. Press a clean cloth or bandage firmly on the wound. If something is stuck in it, such as glass, leave it in place and press around it instead, not on top of it.
Raise the limb
Lift the cut hand, arm or leg above the level of your heart. This slows the blood flow and helps bleeding stop faster.
Clean it once bleeding stops
Rinse with clean tap or bottled water. Pat dry with gauze or a clean towel, then wash the surrounding skin with soap and water, wiping away from the wound, not into it.
Cover it
Use a sterile dressing or plaster. A waterproof one is best if you cannot keep it dry otherwise. Change it if it gets wet or dirty.
Watch for infection
Redness, swelling, pus, or growing pain over the next few days are signs to see a doctor.
Call 999 or go to A&E if the bleeding will not stop or sprays out, the cut is larger than about 5cm, it is on the face or palm, there is numbness or you cannot move the area normally, or there is glass or another object embedded in it that you should not try to pull out yourself.
Burns and scalds
The single most important step is cooling the burn immediately, and most people do this for far too short a time.
Cool it
Hold the burn under cool (not icy) running water for a full 20 minutes, starting as soon as possible and within 3 hours of the injury. No tap nearby? Use cool bottled water or a wet towel.
Remove what can trap swelling
Take off nearby rings, watches or tight clothing before the area swells, but leave anything that is stuck to the skin alone.
Cover loosely
Once cooled, lay cling film loosely over the burn, without wrapping it tightly around the limb. It protects the area without sticking to it.
Manage pain
Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help, following the dose on the pack.
Call 999 or go to A&E if the burn is large or deep, on the face, hands, genitals or over a joint, or caused by chemicals, electricity, or acid. Call NHS 111 (or your local equivalent helpline) if you are unsure, especially for a burn on a young child.
Sprains and strains
A sprain (a stretched or torn ligament) or strain (a stretched or torn muscle/tendon) from a rolled ankle or an awkward lift responds well to the same first-48-hours approach.
Protect it
Stop using the injured joint. Support it with a bandage or supportive shoe if you need to move.
Rest it
Avoid putting weight on it or exercising it for the first day or two.
Ice it
Apply a cold pack or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes, every 2 to 3 hours. Never put ice directly on bare skin.
Compress it
Wrap a bandage around the area for support during the day, snug but not so tight it cuts off circulation.
Elevate it
Keep the injured area raised, for example on a pillow, to reduce swelling.
Most sprains feel noticeably better within about 2 weeks, though strenuous exercise is best avoided for up to 8 weeks after a bad one. See a doctor if it is not improving, and call an emergency line or go to A&E if you heard a crack at the time of injury, the joint looks an odd shape, the area is numb or tingling, or the skin below it looks pale, blue, or feels cold.
What most people miss
- Butter, oil and toothpaste on burns make things worse. They trap heat in the skin and can introduce infection. Cool running water is the only thing that actually helps in the first minutes.
- Ice belongs in a towel, not on skin. Direct ice contact can cause a cold burn on top of the original injury.
- A cut can look clean and still need stitches. Length, depth, and location (face, palm, over a joint) matter more than how much it bled.
- "Walking on it" doesn't prove a sprain isn't a fracture. Some fractures can bear partial weight. If in real doubt, get it checked.
