What is burns?

Burns—even minor ones—can be very painful. A minor burn may heal within several days, while a more serious burn may take weeks or even months to heal completely.

You may notice that the burned area feels tight and hard while it is healing. It is important to continue to move the area as the burn heals to prevent loss of motion or loss of function in the area.

When your skin is damaged by a burn, you have a greater risk of infection. Keep the wound clean and change the bandages regularly to prevent infection and help the burn heal.

Burns can leave permanent scars. Taking good care of the burn as it heals may help prevent bad scars.

The doctor has checked you carefully, but problems can develop later. If you notice any problems or new symptoms, get medical treatment right away.

The seriousness of a burn is determined by:

• The depth of the burn (first-, second-, third-, or fourth-degree).
  • First-degree burns are burns of the first layer of skin.
  • Second-degree burns. There are two types of second-degree burns:
    • Superficial partial-thickness burns injure the first and second layers of skin.
    • Deep partial-thickness burns injure deeper skin layers.
  • Third-degree burns (full-thickness burns) injure all the skin layers and tissue under the skin. These burns always require medical treatment.
  • Fourth-degree burns extend through the skin to injure muscle, ligaments, tendons, nerves, blood vessels, and bones. These burns always require medical treatment.
• The size of the burn.
• The cause (thermal, electrical, chemical, radiation, or friction).
• The part of the body where the burn occurred.
• The age and health of the burn victim.
• Other injuries.

Rinse the burns with water, and apply a bandage. There may be burns where the electrical current entered the body and where it left the body. If you have a visible electrical burn to the skin, an evaluation by your doctor is usually needed.