When it comes to burns, there are usually four main characterizations when it comes to gauging how severe the injury actually is:
1. FIRST-DEGREE BURN:
These burns can be painful, but typically don’t get past the outer layer of a victim’s skin. Although the site of injury can look irritated or have redness, these burns are typically fairly mild. There are usually no blisters or major damage done to the skin or anything underlying.
2. SECOND-DEGREE BURN:
When it comes to second-degree burns, the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, and the layer that’s underneath it, the dermis, are both typically affected. In this case, a victim may start to see blisters, experience more pain that they would with a first-degree burn, and may even see some swelling.
3. THIRD-DEGREE BURN:
Third-degree burns are definitely more damaging than first or second-degree burn injuries. These types of burns typically destroy two full layers of tissue, the epidermis and dermis. Sometimes, they can even go a layer deeper, with injuries that go beyond swelling or redness. These burns can often look white, blackened, or even yellow. In these types of burns, nerve damage can occur, creating the possibility that these burns are less painful.
4. FOURTH-DEGREE BURN:
For fourth-degree burns, both the epidermis and dermis are typically destroyed, as well as the subcutaneous tissue underneath. However, in these injuries, burns can go even deeper, even potentially harming muscles or bone. In these types of burns, there is typically no feeling at all in the area that is affected, since the nerve endings in the area are often completely destroyed in the accident.