ELIZABETH: My grandma told me
that every time I get a skin
burn, crack an egg
and put the egg
white on the skin to heal
faster.
Is that true?
JUAN RIVERA, MD: I love
this story because I can picture
my own abuelita saying
the same thing to me
with absolute conviction.
Except that my grandmother
didn't treat minor burns
with egg whites
but with toothpaste.
Go figure...
Alright, let's
go through the process.
You're making dinner
and you get a minor burn
on your hand.
Ouch!
You rush to the fridge,
pull out an egg,
separate the yolk
from the white, and immediately
put the gooey stuff
on your burn.
Let's think about this.
The fact that the egg is cold
provides an immediate soothing
effect...and I can be convinced
the water in the egg white can
be helpful too.
BUT abuelita forgot to consider
that raw eggs sometimes have
tiny invaders of BACTERIA called
salmonella!
Just a tiny little detail
grandma forgot.
You definitely don't want that
sneaking into your body
through an open wound.
So using egg whites
for minor burns
is a no-go for me,
and I can't recommend that you
use it.
Sorry, abuelitas!
Here's what I recommend instead.
Run tap water
over the burned area for 10-15
minutes.
Then apply aloe vera.
Aloe vera soothes your skin
instantly, and there are no side
effects!
It actually helps speed
the healing process and promotes
the growth of healthy tissue
and skin over your wound.
So save the eggs
for a nice Spanish tortilla
or pisco sour.