Caustic Soda Burns

Not meaning to gross people out, but I have to share these photos of a pair of caustic-soda burns I had recently. A few weeks back I cleaned my shower, not realising the caustic soda I’d put down the drain a week earlier had not dissolved. The soda mixed weakly with the vinegar and bi carb I was using, and when I washed my hands I didn’t wash my arms. A few hours later red splotches appeared; within a day two tiny blisters had appeared; by two days my arms were a motley array of scabby blisters, including a 5cm square one on my right wrist. It was a short healing period: within two weeks the last silver bandage came off. Now I have arms that are splotched the colours of neopolitan icecream (!). The colour will take time to fade.

Some of the early photos are a bit urky.

Right arm, hours after. At this stage, it’s just a rash.

Left arm, hours after.

Two small blisters appear, one day later.

The monster blister appeared two days later.

Right arm, in full blister. I called this the ‘pizza’ stage.

Wrapped up: I called this the ‘poodle arms’ stage.

First dressing change: the big blister was removed. This was incredibly painful: never let anyone put DuoDerm on a burn blister, it’s dreadful to get off.

Second dressing change, oxidation of the silver nitrate from the Acticote stained my skin brown, and left silver particles.

My left arm by this stage was mostly healed, with a few flaky blisters still going.

My left arm, once all the blisters had healed: the light catches the light pink scar tissue.

Blisters healing on my right arm.

Neapolitan icecream stage: the dark skin is the colour of chocolate icecream, the new skin from healed blisters is the pink of strawberry icecream!

The big blister, bandages off, strawberry pink.

All healed, 3 weeks later. Now I just have to wait for the colouring to fade and even out.