burns
Types of burns
Our skin takes care of protecting us from the external elements (wind, heat, insect bites, and many other things). Also it controls the temperature of our body. Skin is made up of different layers, one on top of the other.
Burns can affect the top layer of the skin or, the other layers as well (the ones that we don’t see). We can classify burns according to their depth:
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First degree burns: affect the external layer of the skin. They are superficial and cause pain, a burning sensation, and tightness; the skin can redden and get inflamed. It is the typical burn produced from a long exposure to the sun without protection. Second degree and superficial burns: affect the external layer and a few internal layers of the skin. They cause pain, redness, inflammation and blisters. Third degree burns: affect all the layers of the skin. They are not painful (because the nerves that transmit the sensation of pain are also damaged). The skin becomes whitish, dark or carbon coloured |
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