Is hot incubation of paraffin wax dangerous or burns the skin?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi Thanh Binh - Rehabilitation Doctor - Department of General Surgery - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
Paraffin wax is a substance used in physiotherapy and has many therapeutic effects. However, because when using it, it is necessary to melt paraffin wax, so many people are afraid that it will cause skin burns. So is the treatment with hot incubation of paraffin wax dangerous?

1. What is paraffin?

Paraffin has been used in physiotherapy for many years as a form of heat therapy. Paraffin is a mixture of petroleum hydrocarbons, which are used therapeutically to be pure, neutral, white and non-toxic. When used, it is often mixed with a little paraffin oil, vitamins, and nourishing oils to increase the plasticity and help the mixture not to be brittle.
Paraffin has a high heat capacity, the temperature of the molten paraffin block decreases very slowly, so it can be used as an intermediate to transfer a large amount of heat to the body for a relatively long time. Therefore, the paraffin-based thermotherapy method transfers heat relatively deeply.
When pressing a hot paraffin pad into the skin, it will stimulate increased perspiration, but this sweat remains, making the skin always moist, soft and increasing the elasticity of the skin.

2. Effect of paraffin wax

Paraffin oil has a lubricating effect, besides, liquid paraffin also has a soothing effect on the skin, cleans the skin and is used as an excipient for some ointments.
Paraffin wax is used topically in the treatment to help:
Pain relief Increase local circulation Reduce spasms and induce relaxation of muscles. Skin softening. Increase perspiration, excrete waste products out. Due to the above effect, the use of paraffin wax is widely indicated in osteoarthritis, post-traumatic... Some diseases that can be treated with paraffin include:
Joint pain, back pain. Tendonitis, myositis, arthritis. After the injury, usually after the first 48 hours, heat therapy can be applied if there is no longer heat and redness at the injury site.

Some contraindications:
Benign and malignant tumors on the treatment area. Areas that are bleeding or threatening to bleed. New injuries. The skin to be treated has wounds, ulcers, skin diseases, open wounds, infected wounds... The patient loses sensation on the skin. The elderly, weak, and severely debilitated cannot tolerate heat therapy. Diseases associated with peripheral circulatory disorders.

3. Is hot annealing of paraffin wax dangerous?

Usually, the treatment with hot tempering of paraffin wax is now widely used in the treatment of a number of diseases. This is a safe and non-toxic heat therapy method. However, when using heat therapy, the risk of burns is always paid special attention. With the method of using paraffin to treat the disease, whether it is dangerous or not is what many patients are interested in. Usually, this method is not dangerous, but it depends on how the patient uses it.

The correct paraffin treatment will not cause burns, because the nature of paraffin is that when melted at a temperature of 52-53 °C in contact with the skin, the exposed paraffin layer will immediately coagulate and this layer will reduce heat. The temperature forms a film separating the hot paraffin from the skin, so it does not cause burns and heat is transferred slowly through this layer to the body. On the contrary, using hot water above 42°C can cause burns because water does not have paraffin-like properties. However, there are some cases of skin burns caused by using paraffin above 60 degrees Celsius, this case is caused by paraffin mixed with water or blisters bursting on the skin.
In addition, when using normal paraffin does not cause allergies, but if the paraffin is contaminated, these substances are allergens. This case of allergy will appear after hot incubation of paraffin such as itching, rash, redness, pain...
Therefore, it is necessary to store paraffin clean to avoid contamination. Proper use of paraffin will not cause skin burns and is not dangerous. How to use paraffin as follows:
Apply paraffin: Pour molten paraffin into an enamel tray about 3cm thick, let it cool down naturally until the paraffin is soft and no longer liquid inside, now the paraffin's temperature is about 43-45 °C if not used up, then incubate in blankets or in the freezer for later treatment. When using, separate the paraffin in the tray and apply it directly to the skin of the area to be treated, lined with a plastic layer outside and then covered with a blanket to keep the heat. 20 minutes each time. Paraffin dip: Usually used for areas such as fingers, hands, toes, and feet where it is difficult to apply paraffin pads. Pour molten paraffin into the pot or pot, first quickly dip the part to be treated and then pull it out immediately, then a thin layer of paraffin adheres to the skin, it will solidify immediately and will not cause burns, continue dipping 3-4 times Let the paraffin coating thicken like a block, then use a towel to incubate for about 20-30 minutes.

4. Notes when using paraffin wax

The notes when using paraffin wax are as follows:
The use of paraffin for treatment needs to be prescribed by a doctor, so it is necessary to consult a doctor before using this method for treatment. Keep paraffin clean and periodically filter, boil to avoid contamination and allergens when used. Paraffin is a flammable substance, so when heating paraffin, care should be taken not to let the paraffin spill out. To avoid fire and fire, it is necessary to heat the paraffin in a water bath and be careful not to spill the paraffin out of the pot. In the treatment area, it is necessary to pay attention to whether the area has lost sensation and the newly damaged skin has a higher risk of burns. Thus, properly heating paraffin and avoiding contraindications, especially the case of loss of hot and cold sensation, is very safe, does not cause danger and burns the skin. On the contrary, if used incorrectly or paraffin is mixed with water and impurities, it can cause burns and allergies on the patient's skin. Therefore, to ensure safety, patients should follow the instructions of the doctor.
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