hold it in a bowl of cool water for 20 minutes or even more.

I know that many of the burn treatment sources say to run cold water over it, but I think that is not enough; the interruption of oxygen is too sporadic. You need to submerge it, and you need to submerge it for several minutes. (the Burn Institute calls for submerging, for example)

Not ice water--cold-to-the-touch water. If it gets a little warm, refresh the coolness.

And 5 minutes is not enough.

After that, don't put anything on it, bcs that will trap the heat; you want the heat to transfer out of your body (that's why the submersion in cold water works so well).

from a website

Second-degree burn
When the first layer of skin has been burned through and the second layer of skin (dermis) also is burned, the injury is called a second-degree burn. Blisters develop and the skin takes on an intensely reddened, splotchy appearance. Second-degree burns produce severe pain and swelling.

If the second-degree burn is no larger than 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) in diameter, treat it as a minor burn. If the burned area is larger or if the burn is on the hands, feet, face, groin or buttocks, or over a major joint, treat it as a major burn and get medical help immediately.

For minor burns, including first-degree burns and second-degree burns limited to an area no larger than 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) in diameter, take the following action:

Cool the burn. Hold the burned area under cold running water for at least five minutes, or until the pain subsides. If this is impractical, immerse the burn in cold water or cool it with cold compresses. Cooling the burn reduces swelling by conducting heat away from the skin. Don't put ice on the burn.
Cover the burn with a sterile gauze bandage. Don't use fluffy cotton, which may irritate the skin. Wrap the gauze loosely to avoid putting pressure on burned skin. Bandaging keeps air off the burned skin, reduces pain and protects blistered skin.
Take an over-the-counter pain reliever. These include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Aleve) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Never give aspirin to children or teenagers.
Minor burns usually heal without further treatment. They may heal with pigment changes, meaning the healed area may be a different color from the surrounding skin. Watch for signs of infection, such as increased pain, redness, fever, swelling or oozing. If infection develops, seek medical help. Avoid re-injuring or tanning if the burns are less than a year old  doing so may cause more extensive pigmentation changes. Use sunscreen on the area for at least a year.

Caution

Don't use ice. Putting ice directly on a burn can cause frostbite, further damaging your skin.
Don't apply butter or ointments to the burn. This could prevent proper healing.
Don't break blisters. Broken blisters are vulnerable to infection.

Do you have an aloe plant? If so, tear off a piece, split it and rub the gel on your burns. Ouch. After that, if the blisters break, some neosporin, but NOT hydrocortisone. I'm sorry you're hurt!

Cold Water Treatment Of Thermal Burns

When you burn yourself not all the damage happens at once. Because the body holds heat, the burning process can last for several minutes on up to several days or even longer in the case of serious burns. Immediate application of cold water or a cold compress is a treatment that has been found to decrease the degree and depth of a burn.

Speed is the most important single factor in burn treatment. The more quickly you cool down the burn the better your chances are of reducing its effects. Use water from a drinking fountain, sink, hose, shower or whatever water source is closest. Hold the burn under cool running water, submerge the burn in a sink full of water or place a water-soaked cloth over the burn. Add more cool water to the cloth as it absorbs the heat from the burn.

ItÂs also important for you to continue the water treatment for a long enough period of time. This may take 30 minutes or 3 days, depending on the burn. The first appearance of the burn can be misleading. Sometimes it doesnÂt look as bad as it really is until the third or fourth day. What the burn looks like then depends on what you did right after the burn and how quickly you did it. If the burn was cooled down immediately there might be almost no pain or swelling and very little change in the skinÂs appearance.

If the pain is still there when the injured area returns to normal body temperature, it means further cold water treatment is necessary. As long as the burned area feels warmer to the touch than the surrounding skin area, treatment should be continued.

Most of us have experienced at least one painful burn in our lives, and chances are that we will experience it again. Remembering this simple, effective first aid treatment is an easy way to relieve the discomfort of a burn and prevent lasting burn damage.

http://www.scif.com/safety/safetymeeting/Article.asp?ArticleID=119

not even aloe will be as effective as a bowl of cold water at moving heat out of the body.

Think, "artificially induced mild hypothermia"--but not truly ice water, that can cause ice burns.

I assumed that Claire had already done the cool water treatment. I meant for the aloe to be used later. I've used it on burns that have blistered up and the blisters disappeared before they could break overnight.

Aloe use- http://www.ehow.com/how_2119545_use-aloe-vera-treat-burns.html

Of course, when in doubt, consult your doctor!

Here is a link that might be useful: Very helpful article to ID types of burns

Thanks everyone for all the information and tips. I didn't know that submerging was better then just running cold water over it for several minutes. You learn something new every day.

The blisters will be very small so not worried and the rest of the hand is returning to normal. I have always meant to get a aloe plant, now I will.

I guess what I should have asked, is there any over the counter products for burns that are better then others that you have used? Or should I just leave it alone? Other than neosporin if it needs it?

Thanks again.
Clare

Nothing like a bag of frozen vegetables for a burn emergency.
I reach for the peas or corn....they wrap around fingers, toes, arms and legs very easily.

Then....Aloe, from the plant is best.

Burns can really hurt. You have to keep ice, frozen peas or cold water on it until it stops hurting so much. You could take something for pain too.

When i get a burn, I grab an ice cube and hold it as long as I can. By the time I let go, the ice cube is partly melted, and my skin is soothed. I usually don't get a blister if I hold onto the ice. Sorry you're hurtin'.