Category
Safety: Accident & Emergency Response
Types of Burns
- First-degree burns are mild (like most sunburns). The top layer of skin (epidermis) turns red and is painful but doesn’t typically blister.
- Second-degree burns affect skin’s top and lower layers (dermis). You may experience pain, redness, swelling and blistering.
- Third-degree burns affect all three skin layers: epidermis, dermis and fat. The burn also destroys hair follicles and sweat glands. Because third-degree burns damage nerve endings, you probably won’t feel pain in the area of the burn itself, rather adjacent to it. Burned skin may be black, white or red with a leathery appearance.
Causes of Burns
- Thermal sources (most common): fire, hot liquids, steam and contact with hot surfaces
- Chemicals, such as cement, acids or drain cleaners.
- Radiation
- Electricity
- Sun (ultraviolet or UV light)