6 practical tips to prevent burns caused by flat irons and curling irons

You already know the scene: you’re late for work, the phone is ringing, your kids are not co-operating, you realize that your blouse needs ironing and you still have not done your hair. As you’re frantically trying to flat iron your hair … your 5 year-old breaks something in the kitchen and the shock of the noise causes you to burn the back of your head with your flat iron!

I know that’s not a pretty picture I’ve painted, but it was my introduction to a new product I just discovered that is a MUST-HAVE to women who use a flat iron or a curling iron to style their hair. It might simply be a symptom of our times, but every woman that has tried to hurry to get ready in the morning has burnt herself at least once with her styling tool. We’re rush-rush-rush and that causes some nasty incidences.

If you’ve been burnt before, you know how painful that can be and how embarrassing it can make you feel when you burn yourself in visible locations like your cheek, forehead, or your neck (which could end up looking like a high school hickey!).

Seriously, life without a flat iron, curling irons, and blow dryers is just unimaginable, but that means that we open ourselves to self inflicted burns.

I read quite a startling statistic:

“Accidental burns are a serious matter, every 25 seconds someone in the United States is burned or scalded in their home, according to the American Burn Association and the Burn Foundation, with more than two million burn injuries reported each year in this country.”

The solution to burns!

Burn Jel Plus was developed by Water-Jel Technologies, the world’s leading provider of professional burn treatments used by EMS (emergency) workers and fire fighters is an effective, easy-to-use, over-the-counter treatment to make minor burns look and feel better. It contains Lidocaine for fast-acting pain relief which provides controlled cooling of the burn site by acting as a heat exchanger. Burn Jel Plus continues to cool and sooth the skin with vitamin e and tea tree oil.

It’s good to know that you have an aid if you were to get burnt, but what about some easy tips to prevent burns?

To prevent burn damage from heated styling appliances, Burn Jel Plus offers the following tips to prevent burns caused by flat irons and curling irons:

1) Allot an appropriate amount of time to style hair.  Burns are most likely to occur when you are in a hurry.

2) Read all instructions carefully as some products heat faster and operate differently than others.

3) Understand how to properly use hairstyling tools and educate younger people on their correct usage as well.

4) Always style your hair in bright light and with mirrors so you can see various angles.

5) Unplug products after use and allow to cool on a burn-resistant counter before handling or storing.

6) Check the Internet for protective gloves, which some appliance manufacturers offer to prevent burns on the hand that is holding the hair.

Interesting facts about the producers of Burn Jel Plus:

For over 25 years Water-Jel Technologies (the manufacturers of Burn Jel Plus) has been the leader in the burn care industry.  The company is the exclusive supplier to the U.S. military and Water-Jel products have been used everywhere from battlefields to oil refineries to manufacturing and utility facilities throughout the United States and the world.  When covering the London (U.K.) terrorist bombings of 2005, TIME Magazine pictured a victim on the cover with a Water-Jel product on her face. Water-Jel products are standard supplies for emergency medical technicians around the world.

If an incident does occur you can safely apply Burn Jel Plus to your neck, your face, or other skin parts.

I’m not sure if Burn Jel Plus is available in Canada, but you can easily buy it at $8.99 USD in the US at CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens and Wal-Mart at the suggested retail price.

You can find more details on Burn Jel Plus and other safety tips to prevent burns on their web site: Burn Jel Plus