Burn on hand from boiling pasta water

Dear Ask The Doctor: I burned my thumb and top of my hand with boiling water a week ago. I was advised air dry was best unless it began to ooze. Pain stopped after 1st day and I had little if any problems for a week. Yesterday the skin started to dry and peel, the pain increase and was advised to now cover with Bacitracin and non-stick pads. Is this a normal progression for what appears to be a 2nd degree burn? How long should I expect the pain to continue? I am assuming the pain is due to the newly exposed layer of skin. Is there anything else I should be doing?

Dear Barbara: Superficial burns, as you have described, are normally associated with some pain. However as the burn wound heals, the pain should become less. It usually takes approximately 2-3  weeks for such injuries to heal. An increase in pain would suggest a complication such as an infection. It seems you have been advised to treat the burn appropriately with antibiotics and frequent dressings. If the pain persists you should seek medical attention as you may require oral antibiotics in addition to the antibiotic ointment and dressings.