Management of acute facial powder burns

To evaluate the management and outcome of acute facial powder burns, 10 patients admitted to a burn center (1980-1985) were reviewed. Facial burns resulted from black gun-powder in 7 and fireworks in 3 patients. Most burns occurred in teenage boys (6) and all but 1 were the result of carelessness on the part of the burn victim. While most facial burns were treated conservatively, 2 patients sustained traumatic tattooing and underwent immediate debridement using a variety of surgical techniques in sequence. Good aesthetic results were obtained and the details of this approach are presented.