Superficial (or 1st Degree)
burns only affect the outer layer of the skin (epidermis)
redness and swelling seen with sharp burning pain but skin will recover naturally leaving no scarring within a week or so. This is like a bad sunburn.
Partial Thickness (or 2nd Degree)
both the outer layer (epidermis) and the deeper layer (dermis) are affected by the burn
blistering, redness, swelling and severe pain felt; with treatment the skin can heal without skin grafts but may leave scarring if it takes longer than 2 weeks to heal.
Full Thickness (or 3rd Degree)
both the layers of skin are totally destroyed and deeper tissue layers – muscles and even bone – can also be affected by the burn skin can appear white or charred black
pain at the burn site is often reduced as the nerve endings can be completely destroyed but the surrounding burn area may be extremely painful where the burn is less deep
surgery and skin grafts are usually necessary for healing and in some cases, survival