Haydn
Haydn was 44 when he sustained chemical facial burns when he was unblocking a sink. At the hospital he used a medical eye wash to ensure there were no chemicals in his eyes. Haydn believes acting confidently in social situations made it easier to interact with people.
Haydn was unblocking a sink at his home when a sudden noise caused him to jolt and accidentally splash chemicals onto his face. He immediately ran into the bathroom and began splashing cold water onto his face, before phoning his wife who took him to the local hospital.
Haydn was concerned he may had damaged his eyes and his eyesight would be affected. At the hospital his eyes were cleaned with a medical eyewash to ensure there were no chemical traces in his eyes. Luckily, Haydn’s eyesight was not affected by the chemical burn.
For 6 weeks whilst his burns were healing, Haydn attended frequent hospital appointments where doctors would assess and clean his burns. After 6 weeks he asked the doctor if he was ready to be discharged to which the doctor agreed. Haydn says he continued to care for his skin at home by moisturising on a regular basis.
Whilst his skin was healing, Haydn was concerned about what his scars may look like in the future and whether people would judge him based on his appearance. At times Haydn would feel self-conscious about his scars and would try to hide them by wearing sunglasses. He tried to maintain a positive attitude by thinking “if I am left with a scar, then a scar is not the end of the world”, and by trying to stay relaxed and confident in social situations. If somebody asked him about his burn, Haydn would answer honestly and appreciated having the opportunity to fully explain his accident to someone, instead of them judging him.
Haydn’s advice to other people who have had a burn injury is to try and stay positive.