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Sports Health
How to Treat a Turf Burn Medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS
Last Updated: February 18, 2026 References
Providing Initial Treatment
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Continuing Turf Burn Care at Home
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Video
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Tips
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Warnings
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This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 174,792 times.
If you play sports on artificial turf, chances are you’ve experienced turf burn before. Cleaning the burn right away is especially important, since dirt and debris from the turf can cause infection. Apply an ointment to the burn and then cover it with a clean dressing to protect it. You’ll need to clean the burn and change the dressing daily. Contact your doctor if you see any signs of infection.
Steps
Part 1 Part 1 of 2:
Providing Initial Treatment
1 Clean the burn immediately. Because turf burns tend to get dirt and other debris in them, it’s important to clean them right away. Wash the burn with a mild soap and warm water, or use a homemade saline solution. Rinse the burn with plenty of warm water to wash out any debris, and gently pat it with clean, moist, lint-free gauze. For larger pieces of debris, use clean tweezers to remove them.[1]X Trustworthy Source MedlinePlusCollection of medical information sourced from the US National Library of Medicine Go to source
The tweezers you use should be disinfected. You can soak them in rubbing alcohol for a few minutes before using them.
If you're cleaning someone else's burn, wash your hands first. You should also wear protective gloves.
If there is quite a lot of embedded debris, or large pieces of debris in the burn, see a doctor to have them removed.
2 Spread petroleum jelly or an antibiotic ointment over the burn. Once you’ve cleaned the burn, you’ll need to promote its healing. Spread petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment over the entire burn so it stays moist. It will prevent infection and promote healing.[2]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Advertisement
3 Hold a clean piece of gauze over the burn if it's bleeding. If you notice that your burn is actively bleeding (leaking blood as opposed to just having blood on the surface of the burn), apply pressure with a clean piece of gauze. After you've held the gauze over the burn for a minute or 2, check the burn to see if it's still bleeding. Apply more pressure if it is.
If you can't get your burn to stop bleeding after a few minutes, you should see a doctor immediately.
4 Cover the burn with an adhesive dressing. Depending on the size of the burn, you might be able to use a large self-adhering bandage. If the burn is larger than that, use cotton padding and adhesive strips. Place the cotton pad over the burn, then apply adhesive strips around the padding to hold it in place.[3]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source
If it's a large turf burn, use a hydrogel dressing or silicone gel sheet. These sheets should come with adhesive strips. Place the dressing or sheet over the burn and then secure it with adhesive strips pressed down on your skin at the edges of the dressing.[4]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source
5 See a doctor if necessary. If your turf burn is bleeding and you can't get it to stop, you should see a doctor. You should also see a doctor if the skin around the burn starts to get red or swollen, since that can indicate that you've developed an infection. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics.[5]XResearch source
If the area around your burn develops red streaks, see your doctor immediately. This can be a sign of blood poisoning, a serious complication.
If your burn becomes swollen, see a doctor immediately.
Advertisement Part 2 Part 2 of 2:
Continuing Turf Burn Care at Home
1 Take antibiotics if they are prescribed. Depending on the severity of the burn, you may have been instructed to see your doctor. If you do, and they prescribe antibiotics, take them as directed. Even if your burn starts to heal, take the full course of antibiotics. They’ll prevent infection and heal your burn.[6]XResearch source
Depending on the severity of the burn and if infection has spread, you might be prescribed an oral or topical antibiotic. If the infection has spread, you're likely to be prescribed oral antibiotics. Otherwise, you might be given a topical antibiotic cream to apply to your burn.
2 Clean the burn and change the bandage daily. Gently remove the adhesive and bandage to expose the burn. With warm water and soap, gently clean the burn. Then reapply ointment and rewrap the burn. Keeping cleaning the burn daily until there are no longer open wounds.[7]XResearch source
3 Do not break blisters. This increases the chances of your burn becoming infected. If blisters do develop, treat them as you would the rest of the burn. If blisters form and break open by themselves, blot up the liquid that’s released. Don’t pull off any skin that was over the liquid.[8]XResearch source
4 Check for signs of infection. Raised red areas around the burn are the most obvious sign of a developing infection. If the skin around the burn feels hot, it might be infected as well. If you notice red streaks extending from the burn, or pus when you change the bandage, see a doctor right away.[9]XResearch source
5 Cover the burned area with long clothing. If you want to keep playing sports while your turf burn heals, give the burn extra protection. Long-sleeved shirts or long pants will help give the burn an extra layer of protection and can prevent the burn from additional damage.[10]XResearch source
You can wear elastic sleeves meant for athletes' arms and legs to cover your burn.
6 Cover the burn with an SPF 30 sunscreen once it's healed. It's important that you protect the burned area from the sun. Wearing sunscreen will help prevent redness and discoloration in the area where the burn was.[11]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source
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Tips
Wear padding when you're playing sports to help prevent turf burn.[12]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Always keep your turf burn clean and covered so you don't get an infection.[13]X Trustworthy Source American Academy of DermatologyProfessional organization made of over 20,000 certified dermatologists Go to source Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
Turf burns can take 2 to 3 weeks to heal. If you're not seeing significant improvement by then, see your doctor. Thanks Helpful 3 Not Helpful 2
Submit a Tip All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published Name Please provide your name and last initial Submit Thanks for submitting a tip for review! Advertisement
Warnings
Be aware that hot turf and equipment can cause painful burns.[14]XResearch sourceThanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
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Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 174,792 times. 26 votes - 85% Co-authors: 7Updated: February 18, 2026 Views: 174,792 Categories: Burns and Scalds | Sports HealthArticle SummaryX
Burns from playing on artificial turf can be nasty, but if you clean yours right away and keep it wrapped, it should heal within a few weeks. If your turf burn’s bleeding a bit, apply pressure with gauze or a bandage until it stops. Clean it with warm water and mild soap to get rid of any dirt and debris. Then, spread a thin layer of petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment over it and wrap it with a bandage to protect it from the elements. Clean your burn daily and replace its bandage with a fresh one. If it gets infected or doesn’t heal within 3 weeks, see your doctor. For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to prevent turf burns in the future, read on.Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse Co-authors: 7Updated: February 18, 2026 Views: 174,79285% of readers found this article helpful. 26 votes - 85% Click a star to add your vote
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Medically reviewed by: Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS Registered Nurse This article was medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS. Sarah Gehrke is a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist based in Texas. Sarah has over 10 years of experience teaching and practicing phlebotomy and intravenous (IV) therapy using physical, psychological, and emotional support. She received her Massage Therapist License from the Amarillo Massage Therapy Institute in 2008. Sarah also has a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner certificate from Walden University and a Master’s in Nursing from the University of Phoenix. This article has been viewed 174,792 times. 26 votes - 85% Co-authors: 7 Updated: February 18, 2026 Views: 174,792 Categories: Burns and Scalds | Sports Health Article SummaryX
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1 Clean the burn immediately. Because turf burns tend to get dirt and other debris in them, it’s important to clean them right away. Wash the burn with a mild soap and warm water, or use a homemade saline solution. Rinse the burn with plenty of warm water to wash out any debris, and gently pat it with clean, moist, lint-free gauze. For larger pieces of debris, use clean tweezers to remove them.[1] 
2 Spread petroleum jelly or an antibiotic ointment over the burn. Once you’ve cleaned the burn, you’ll need to promote its healing. Spread petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment over the entire burn so it stays moist. It will prevent infection and promote healing.[2] Advertisement 
4 Cover the burn with an adhesive dressing. Depending on the size of the burn, you might be able to use a large self-adhering bandage. If the burn is larger than that, use cotton padding and adhesive strips. Place the cotton pad over the burn, then apply adhesive strips around the padding to hold it in place.[3] 
5 See a doctor if necessary. If your turf burn is bleeding and you can't get it to stop, you should see a doctor. You should also see a doctor if the skin around the burn starts to get red or swollen, since that can indicate that you've developed an infection. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics.[5] 
1 Take antibiotics if they are prescribed. Depending on the severity of the burn, you may have been instructed to see your doctor. If you do, and they prescribe antibiotics, take them as directed. Even if your burn starts to heal, take the full course of antibiotics. They’ll prevent infection and heal your burn.[6] 
2 Clean the burn and change the bandage daily. Gently remove the adhesive and bandage to expose the burn. With warm water and soap, gently clean the burn. Then reapply ointment and rewrap the burn. Keeping cleaning the burn daily until there are no longer open wounds.[7] 
3 Do not break blisters. This increases the chances of your burn becoming infected. If blisters do develop, treat them as you would the rest of the burn. If blisters form and break open by themselves, blot up the liquid that’s released. Don’t pull off any skin that was over the liquid.[8] 
4 Check for signs of infection. Raised red areas around the burn are the most obvious sign of a developing infection. If the skin around the burn feels hot, it might be infected as well. If you notice red streaks extending from the burn, or pus when you change the bandage, see a doctor right away.[9] 
5 Cover the burned area with long clothing. If you want to keep playing sports while your turf burn heals, give the burn extra protection. Long-sleeved shirts or long pants will help give the burn an extra layer of protection and can prevent the burn from additional damage.[10]