Concrete burn

[m Ransley]

I was using quick set concrete in Nov It was on my hands awhile and still my skin is cracked and opening, how long do concrete burns take to heal.

[Carnival Midway Hawker]

Go to the doctor. You're asking in the wrong place.

[Norminn]

As long as any other second- or third-degree burn. It is a chemical burn. Might be worth a trip to the doctor. It is easy to get infection into tendons and joints when skin is broken on your hands, and if it gets into a tendon, it follows the tendon - can be very nasty.

[Norminn]

Gee, I just noticed the "Nov" in your original post. Cracking and opening is superficial, or scabs that crack? How bad was it initially?

[Norminn]

If you google on concrete burns, you will find articles about how they react. Concrete can leave behind trace elements that cause allergic dermatitis. I knew a guy who mixed concrete with his feet in tennis shoes - very nasty burns but they healed up pretty quick.

[m Ransley]

Yes 2.5 months but its not bad its always been the same its like rought hard skin, just its on a finger joint so it keeps opening. Ive heard of concrete guys getting concrete in their boots where it sits all day, I always thought they were just complainers, I only had it on my hands 30 minutes, its probably the quick set formula is harder on skin..

[trader4]

Are you putting some skin mositurizer on it to keep it from drying out? This is especially important now, in cold weather. You should do that at least a couple times a day, before bed is a good time. If it's dry and keeps getting exposed to cold, washed frequently, etc, skin can stay cracked/dry for a long time.

[# Fred #]

Agree. Reapply everytime you wash your hands too - we use Eucerin. I had an open cut that won't close for weeks until I put Desitin on it. Wonderful stuff with zinc oxide and if its good for a baby's ass it good enough for me. YMMV, so see a doctor first like others suggested.

[BobK207]

Depends on you (age, general skin condition) & where you live (cold, dry winter is the worst time to heal skin damage).

Next time get that stuff off your skin frequently while working....a 5 gallon bucket of fresh water plus another one with water & a few cups of vinegar.

Now that you skin is damaged; keep them clean but minimize washing, re- moisturize after washing, clean/new gloves of some sort during the day (if possible). Cracked skin is a problem, esp on the hands, so much movement, hard to heal.

When my youngest kid would occasionally get MAJOR diaper rash, I would literally "paint" his butt with Desitin; generally the rash would be gone is a day.

Consider applying a libeal amount of Desitin at night & covering with a light cotton / disposable glove....should be much better immediately.

Like chapped lips...easy / fast to get ......slow to heal :(

HTH

cheers Bob

[Goedjn]

Have you been treating it at all? If not, coating it with vaseline and a bandaid for your waking day would probably help.

[Norminn]

The article I looked at said not to use greasy stuff, like petroleum jelly, on such burns. It might help to get rid of any irritating stuff that is there by soaking couple times a day in plain warm water. Might also try a little cortisone cream that doesn't have oily base.

[Goedjn]

Not in the first several days, no, but what he's treating more than two months later isn't a chemical burn, it's dry, cracked skin, probably a bit of scarring, and possibly a low-level fungus infection. For ANY wound that doesn't heal, you should find a doctor to look at it, but OP is apparently unwilling to do that. Something to with a DEA warrent, I guess. What's the stuff that you put on cow udders? Bag balm. Bag balm would probably help.

--Goedjn

[Norminn]

Well, no, it isn't for sure a simple burn - most chemical burns burn, wash it off, it heals and it's over with. A couple of articles I looked at gave more particulars. Yes, there is initially a chemical burn. From concrete, certain compounds (chrome being one) can remain in the skin and cause allergic dermatitis. Allergic dermatitis is not "dry skin", although it can certainly look the same.

[BobK207]

isn't for sure a simple burn - most chemical burns burn,

I would agree that repeated exposure to cementious materials can cause allergic dermatitis. I have a work acquaintance who is a concrete expert (30+ years) & the skin on his hands look like they've been dipped in acid.

I would hope that a single exposure would not cause allergic dermatitis. The original exposure being is Nov (winter) & continuing thru the new year would indicate to me....an unsoothed dry skin situation (hopefully)

m have you tried any of the suggestions? any improvement? are they dry or cracked & bleeding?

cheers Bob

PS I tried to fix the mixing of top & bottom posting but maybe screwed it up

[DK]

Definitely go with the bag balm. The cracks will disappear in about

10 days, but your skin will need protecting from lime/alkaline products for the rest of your life. Keep rubber/latex gloves around and use them befroe you touch any other chemicals.

[m Ransley]

Well im keeping it greased and its healing, so what started out as skin being dryed from concrete most likely went to regular winter dryness. But its still like sandpaper. Concrete pros must really have problems. Can you imagine getting burnt cracked feet!

[krw]

Nitrile gloves are more chemical resistant. I've had latex gloves fall apart on me when using things as benign as stain. A box of

100 Nitrile gloves goes for between $6 and $15.

[C&B]

replying to Norminn, C&B wrote: COCONUT OIL!!!!!!!!!!!!