7 First Aid Mistakes That Are More Dangerous Than You Think

The Mistake: Not treating a burn long enough

Forget butter or ice—the best way to soothe burned skin is to run it under cool water. But a few seconds or minutes isn’t enough; you need to do it for at least ten to 20 minutes, says Jeffrey Pellegrino, PhD, of the American Red Cross. “The heat from a burn travels deep into your skin, where it can continue to destroy tissue even if you’ve cooled the surface,” he says. “You need the cold to soak in to prevent further damage.” When you can’t get to a doctor, these are medical procedures that you can do at home.