Burn treatment

Information for ​burn survivors

What is a burn?

According to the World Health Organization, a burn is “an injury to the skin, or other tissues, primarily caused by heat or due to radiation, radioactivity, electricity, friction or contact with chemicals. Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (scalds), hot solids, or fire 1 .”

Support for Burn survivors ​

With Mölnlycke’s partnership with the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors we can provide resources and knowledge needed for successful burn recovery, wherever you are, ensuring that no survivor must experience the harshness of recovery in isolation. 

Read more at the Phoenix Society website

Different burn types

The skin is composed of three main layers​:

  • Epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin you can see and touch.​
  • Dermis, beneath the epidermis. This middle layer makes up about 90% of the skin´s thickness. ​
  • Subcutaneous layer (or hypodermis), the deepest layer of the skin.

Burns are classified into three main types based on their severity:

Superficial burn, or first-degree
burn​

Example: Sunburn and scalds from low viscosity liquids (like water or coffee).​

  • Depth: Epidermis​
  • Dry, red, easily blanching​
  • No blisters, intact skin​
  • No scarring​
  • Painful​
  • Healing time within 5-10 days, no surgery is required

Superficial partial-thickness burn, or second degree burn​

Examples of this burn type are scalds from low viscosity liquids, brief contact with a hot object or exposure to flame. ​

  • Depth: Epidermis and upper layer of the dermis​
  • Moist, red, blanching​
  • Blisters​
  • Scarring is unusual, but pigment changes may occur​
  • Very painful​
  • Healing time within 21 days, no surgery

Deep partial-thickness burn, or second degree burn​

Examples of this burn type are scalds from low and high viscosity liquids, steam, contact with hot object or exposure to flame. ​

  • Depth: Epidermis and the deep layer of the dermis​
  • Drier, more pale, less blanching​
  • Blisters (easily unroofed)​
  • Increased risk of scarring and contractures​
  • Painful to pressure​
  • Healing time within 3-8 weeks. May require surgery and skin grafting.

Full thickness burn, or third degree burn​

Examples of this burn type are scalds from liquid immersion, exposure to flame, chemicals and electricity. ​

  • Depth: Epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous fat layer. If the injury goes deeper than that, it is somethimes called fourth degree​
  • Dry, leathery texture, variable colour (white, brown, black)​
  • Blisters do not develop​
  • Scarring and contractures​
  • Insensate to light touch and pin prick​
  • Healing time: Prolonged healing, take longer than 8 weeks and will require skin grafting. At fourth degree, amputation may be needed.

    1. ​World Health Organization (2018) Burns. Available online at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/burns​
    2. Kristina S, Nicholas G. First Aid Clinical Practice Guidelines. British Burn Association, 2018 April. Available from: https://www.britishburnassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/BBA-First-Aid-Guideline-24.9.18.pdf