26-07-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksMaybe you remember my blog from last week about the skin burn?
My sister (who is a doctor) saw my wound yesterday and got really angry with me! (I didn’t have it covered up and the crust was starting to peel off)
She said that if a burn is bigger than an old quarter coin (about 20mm) then you have to take extra care of it! And if it’s bigger than a 2 euro coin then you should go see a doctor! Well it was just slightly smaller than that!
My sister put some aloe vera burn relief gel on it and covered the wound with special burn bandage so it wouldn’t stick on the wound and it wouldn’t be infected. And she gave me a prescription for silversulfadiazine which is a disinfecting cream to prevent infections on open wounds like burns and to prevent scarring. And I should keep it covered up!
So therefore this update! DON’T BE A FOOL LIKE ME!
Check out burns properly! and if you have doubts?
GO SEE A DOCTOR!
22-07-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksThe day before yesterday I burnt myself during cooking.
I spilled some carrots next to my wok and tried to grab them, when reaching over I accidentally burnt myself to the pan and in reflex I pulled my hand UP (which was more towards the pan!!! Aahhhhh AUW!)
While being busy trying not to waste my meal I kind of finished with the start of the vegetables etc. Cleaned something up and THEN I started to cool my hand!
Dumbdumbdumb!
I should have stopped whatever I was doing and started to cool right away! Now it ended up hurting all the rest of the evening! I had icecubes on my hand all evening until I put a bandage on it, so I wouldn’t hurt or damage it during my sleep. Which was great! When I put the bandage on it was better instantly!
So now I have a big red spot on my hand and it still kind of hurts a little.
So but what should I have done? I looked it up and I didn’t do everything totally wrong, thank goodness:
During the process of providing first aid burn treatment, the aim must be to cool the burn, provide relief from pain, and cover the burn. Cover the burn with abundant amount of cold liquid. Do not use ice or iced water as the burn may take a longer time to heal. Dress the burn with a sterile pad or bandage. Applying oils, creams and sprays on the burn may add to the risk of infection.
OK so the icecubes weren’t a good idea! Oops! I absolutely didn’t know that! And thank goodness my boyfriend stopped me from smearing cream on it! The bandage was OK and it helped really well!
So all in all I cooled too much, too late but the rest was fortunately OK
Doing a first aid course might be something we should all do! So we all know how to treat our clumsy accidents as well as the really serious ones!
12-07-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelI just bought an amazing book!
The first page caught me: A picture of the burnt out control room of Reactor 4 in Chernobyl. More intense it can't get I thought.
This book has a great lay-out, it is easy to read, with pictures accompanying it to explain. It looks good so it is already a book good for your collection of amazing books!
The book is a few years old, but it looks like some of the issues are still very much happening right now.
What is it about? This book is a book the design of the world. What are the challenges? And what are the solutions? I am figuring them out right now :)
what do you think of this book or Bruce Mau? Leave it here.
26-05-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke EngelI am on vacation on Ibiza and I love it! I will write a summary blog once I am home, as it is too much to tell you!
But one thing I discovered while being here, and that matches the last blogs posted, is this new sunscreen that I discovered in NYC.
It is called UV Natural and it says it is "the future of sun protection". I use it because it has "nature's finest oils" in it, and leaves your skin soft and a bit oily, not like some of the other sunscreens. It is also preservative free, and no added fragrance. SPF 15 you have to apply a few times during the day, and I don't think it is waterproof, but it kept my skin from burning, and I actually got a nice little color!
24-05-2010 | Posted by: Irene DirksOK if you read my last blog, then next step is…
wear sunscreen!
Sunlight contains two types of UV rays: UVA and UVB
B is the good kind which you want lots and lots of, because it helps you create Vitamin-D. And A is the bad kind because it penetrates your skin and can create skin damage, aging and could even result in skincancer!
So a good protection is vital!
There are two types of filters used in sunscreen: Mineral or chemical filters.
Mineral filters create a reflective layer on your skin with Zinc-oxide or Titanium-dioxide particles. It reflects the sunlight to not reach the skin. Benefit of this is that in high concentrations they can block the sunlight totally, it is not absorbed by the skin and therefore has less chance of creating allergic reactions and are photostable. (it works all day without loss of protection) Less positive is that they leave a white layer on your skin, they are thicker, greasier and harder to smear. Also they can block your pores. So this type of sunblock is less appropriate for dark skintypes and greasy or break-out skin types.
A chemical filter works quite differently. It penetrates the skin and there absorbs the UV rays. It doesn’t create a white layer on your skin and can be used in lighter creams, sprays or oils. That’s why they are a better option for greasier skin types and are often used in daycreams. Less positive is that they usually don’t block all UVA rays and most of them are not photostable, so re-applying is a must!
When I go on a beach vacation I make sure I use the mineral type of filter at least at the start of the vacation. I think it is easy because you only have to apply once, and you are sure you are protected all day long. But creating a nice tan, using this one, doesn’t work that well for me. So usually after a few days I switch to a different one when I feel that my skin has had time to adjust to the sunlight. But then I really have to be careful not to get sunburnt!
Most sunscreens have both types of filters at the same time. Just check the label or ingredients so you are sure you know which type of filter you are using.
21-02-2010 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
06-12-2009 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
23-11-2009 | Posted by: Lonneke Engel
